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  1. - Top - End - #151
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    May 2017

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    UPDATED ACTIONS LIST

    Main new things:
    - Sacrifice actions, which allow you to ask for your followers to sacrifice mortals to you, giving you BP (blood points) for use later in the age. BP is the same as AP, but any actions that you use BP for will become detectable, even if they're undetectable or secondary actions. Most of these are secondary actions, but there are a couple of detectable primary sacrifice actions involving vast numbers of mortals.
    - Contested actions, which allow you to take assets from other gods as secondary actions. They don't have a DC, instead requiring both gods to roll to see who achieves the larger number. One important mechanic in this system is that the defending god may use their secondary action (if they haven't used it already) to make a counter-attack, doubling their defence roll. Adds an element of tactics.
    - I added a "destroy chosen people" action, because for some reason it was missing.

    Spoiler: Divine Actions List
    Show
    Undetectable actions

    Free/Instant: manifest avatar, teleport avatar, shapeshift avatar, interact with the world, perform inconsequential/non-divine magic, attempt to remotely contact other gods - general fluff and flavour basically.

    1 AP/0 DC: influence one mortal (significantly alter the course of their life by compelling them to action, altering their body, killing them, etc.).

    2 AP/1 DC: influence a small group of mortals (~10), influence a small landmark or room, change the weather in a village-sized area.

    4 AP/2 DC: influence a large group of mortals (~100), influence a large landmark or building.

    6 AP/3 DC: influence a village of mortals (~1000), influence a village-sized area, change the weather in a city-sized area.

    8 AP/4 DC: change the weather in a state-sized area, create a basic living species (plant, fungus, micro-organisms), create a basic non-living substance.

    10 AP/6 DC: influence a town of mortals (~10k), influence a town-sized area, create an animal species, create one or a collection of lesser magical items (easy to both use and destroy, such as a magic carpet, health potion, invisibility cloak, etc.).

    12 AP/8 DC: influence a city of mortals (~100k), influence a city-sized area, create a collection of lesser magical minions (should be a reasonable match for most mortals, such as hellhounds, cherubs, horse-mounted Nazgul, etc.), immortalise a living creature or mortal, create a pocket dimension (must be bounded and unable to hold a population).

    14 AP/10 DC: influence one immortal, create a single greater magical monster (should be challenging for even the best mortals to slay, such as a dragon, gorgon, fell beast-mounted Witch King, etc.), create a greater magical item (requires understanding of magic to use or destroy, such as a phylactery, enchanted weapons and armour, crystal ball, etc.), sanctify an area for +2 (max 4 per god).

    Detectable actions

    16 AP/12 DC: influence a state of mortals (~1M) or a small group of immortals (~10), influence a state-sized area, scry a country-sized area, induce a celestial phenomenon (comet, eclipse, aurora, etc.), demand the sacrifice of 100k mortals to refill AP for the age, create a sentient species, create a +2 domain religious artefact (max 3 per god).

    18 AP/14 DC: influence a country of mortals (~10M), influence a country-sized area, scry a continent-sized area, create a plane of reality (can be unbounded and capable of sustaining a population), create a +2 domain/-2 weakness demigod (max 2 per god).

    20 AP/16 DC: influence a continent of mortals (~100M), influence a continent-sized area, scry the entire planet, create a law of reality (such as a system of magic for mortals to use, or an objective morality), create a supernaturally gifted sentient species, assign a chosen people for +2 (1 per god).

    22 AP/18 DC: influence every mortal on the planet, influence the entire planet, demand genocide for infinite AP this age, despoil a +2 sanctified area.

    24 AP/20 DC: destroy a +2 artefact, confer a -2 weakness to a demigod, banish a god for a turn, announce a prophesy.

    30 AP/24 DC: destroy a demigod, destroy a chosen people, confer a -2 weakness to another god.

    40 AP/30 DC: destroy a god.

    Secondary actions

    1 AP: scry one object or living creature (allows you to detect undetectable actions that happen within your scry, effective for the duration of the turn after the turn on which you call the scry), demand the sacrifice of one mortal to generate 3 BP.

    2 AP: scry a small landmark or room, demand a sacrifice of 10 mortals to generate 8 BP.

    4 AP: scry a large landmark or building.

    6 AP: scry a town-sized area, demand the sacrifice of 100 mortals to generate 16 BP.

    8 AP: scry a city-sized area.

    10 AP: scry a country-sized area, demand the sacrifice of 1000 mortals to generate 30 BP.

    12 AP: scry a state-sized area, reincarnate/reawaken a mortal/monstrous demigod.

    14 AP: occupy +1 of another god's sanctified area, steal +1 of another god's religious artefact (contested rolls, defender may double their modifiers if they have an available secondary action).

    16 AP: kill a mortal demigod or banish an immortal demigod for one turn (contested roll, defender may double their modifiers if they have an available secondary action).


    Spoiler: The Pantheon
    Show
    Player Deity Domains/Weaknesses
    Garjel_blah Chern +4 Decay, +1 Fermentation, +2 Starry Crypt, -2 Downtrodden
    Godzillarich Grawissen +2 Mining, +2 Knowledge, +1 Writing, +2 Grawissen's Pickaxe of Architecture, -2 Unknown
    Megadraco Kahar-Djin +2 Paths, +2 Thresholds, +1 Travellers, -2 Unexplored
    Demonjazz Alatadriel +2 Fire, +2 Foxes, +1 Bees, -2 Arrogance
    The Jojo Avestra +2 Nature, +2 Birds, +1 Reproduction, +2 Avestra's Perch, -2 Primeval
    Batcathat Ymon-Thal +2 Life, +2 Death, +1 Balance, -2 Unliving
    El-the Ellie Vreyalas +2 Community, +2 Forging, -2 Darkness
    Artemis P Nestellbam +4 Preservation, +1 Treasures, +2 Harken Steppe, -2 Creation
    gac3 Timorin +2 Drama, +2 War, +1 Games, -2 Fear
    Mira_124 Opulon +2 Cosmology, +2 Divination, -2 Focus
    flyinglemur Dulnori +2 Fortune, +2 Ambition, +1 Dreams, -2 Stability
    Maryring Petr +2 Water, +2 Healing, +1 Rainbow, +2 Sanctuary Moonpool -2 Pain
    DarthArminius Su'ule +2 Sorcery, +2 Monsters, +1 Birth, -2 Willfulness
    AlexanderML Yir +2 Sun, +2 Majesty, +1 Perfection, +2 Stonesthroe Mountain Peaks, -2 Arrogance, Yir's Vessel (+2 Giants/-2 Petulance)
    Last edited by Garjel_blah; 2020-02-28 at 06:15 AM.

  2. - Top - End - #152
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Chimera

    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Su'ule, a goddess who was as benevolent as she was powerful, looked across the Gnaw Wastes. Sure, it was home to her people, but they weren't exactly that numerous, even with their magical gifts they received from her. Sure, they had a magical protector, a man who could both use Sorcery AND transform into a dragon, at will. The goddess breathes life into the wastes, around the caverns of her favored tribes, sanctifying the land, causing it to grow fertile. Crops could, and would finally grow in abundance, and the very climate around this sanctified area would be temperate, and green.

    Spoiler
    Show

    Su'ule spends 16AP to enchant the land so that the climate would be hospitable around a large area, where the Neanderthal tribes could actually grow crops here
    I am ArlEammon. I've been here since 2004, but I've lost access to my other account.

  3. - Top - End - #153
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    OrcBarbarianGuy

    Join Date
    May 2017

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Spoiler: Avestra
    Show

    +2 knowledge: the amulet will allow you to learn about a person by studying their dreams, from their hopes, dreams, fears, and morality.

    +2 mining: the amulet will make a special will turn any regular rocks exposed long enough to it into Dreammite. These rocks help the user with sleeping and having pleasant dreams. The rock will eventually be drained of its power if used enough times.

    +1 writing: the amulet show what other people are thinking, showing their thoughts as written words.

    Spoiler: Help Su
    Show



    +2 knowledge: the people around these areas will develop great knowledge on how they can grow crops.

    +2 mining: a special edible material called Zoptzenk, can be found all over the area, the special material is not only edible like salt but is able to keep food fresh for more than two years.

    +1 writing: there will be stone slabs around the area with detailed farming instructions written on them. This knowledge will help the younger generations to learn farming faster.

  4. - Top - End - #154
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Bergen

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Spoiler: Help Su'ule
    Show
    Seemingly small changes can have vast ripple effects. Especially when dealing with weather and climate. Su'ule's touch in the Gnaw Wastes doesn't go unnoticed by Petr. The creation of a temperate zone in what is otherwise tundra bordering arctic is definitely going to play havoc with weather patterns.

    At least if you leave things as is. But Su'ule has given Petr's child a blessing. And so it's only fair that in turn, Petr shields Su'ule's children from the worst of the weather. And perhaps throw in something interesting if they venture further out into the wastes.

    Help: Water +2: Petr weakens the effects of a temperate zone in the wastes on weather to keep it from being a constant zone of bitter winds and storms.

    Healing +2: Petr spreads around hardy tubers and root vegetables that can survive the Graw Wastes.

  5. - Top - End - #155
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    GreenSorcererElf

    Join Date
    Dec 2016

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Dulnori was laying on mud, sad and bored. He looked up at the sky, a sky not filled with golden dragons, and sighed. He was planning on wallowing for a good week, when he felt that familiar pull. "Looks like some of the others are messing with reality again, let’s make this more readable.” Dulnori turned the earth beneath him to sand, and that sand soon turned itself into cute models of the gods. Their requests played out for him. "What do we got here, a steppe woman's being deified, a baby shower, and a real estate venture. Nothing unusual here, WAIT! Why is an Aeon being deified? When did this happen, why is this happening, should I have noticed? I should have. Ach” Dulnori dragged himself out of the mud pool and followed the trail of the message, how could he be so callous as to miss this? When he arrived at the source; he saw a strange and unnatural place. He had arrived in the passing, and it felt absolutely miserable. A bunch of souls, just flitting about, instead of being reborn immediately. What a strange project. Dulnori then saw Verys, once an Aeon, now a gloomy ruler of a gloomy place. He had expected this to be a joyous occasion, but there could be no joy for Verys anymore. Dulnori thought about speaking to her, but she had already sold her soul. He could not in good conscience revoke her choice, or hope to convince her otherwise through authority alone. Still, he was compelled to do something, to bring some light into her new form. The worm dug into her head, and placed a memory in her mind. When Thal-Verys sleeps, she dreams of her old home, so as to always remember who she once was.

    Spoiler: Hinder Ymon-Thal
    Show
    +1 dreams. On occasion Thal-Verys dreams of the Steppe. This makes her wistful and distracted, and a bit more likely to let a soul or two go early.


    Now Dulnori was even sadder than before. He sulked for a while, before remembering that little invitation he had gotten. Perhaps a party could cheer him up. Dulnori arrived in Sanctuary Island in a raging cloud of sand, and was immediately impressed. This was a party alright, in a very fancy city as well. A few hours of food and drink did a wonder on his mood, and soon the rhino was happier than a war-chief with mammoth brain on his spear tip. The city was a cavalcade of sights, tall buildings, great art, and all sorts of mages casting all sorts of spells. Dulnori loved it all, except for one thing.

    "Why are you shamans here so namby-pamby?” Dulnori yelled at a passing mage,
    “I’m a druid good sir, and I’ll have you know I’m too busy for these insults. I’ve got birds to watch and flowers to arrange.”
    "Nonsense, you’re a shaman, just a weak one. You’re all so spoiled here with your magic flowing about all water like. Where I come from you gotta yank hard if you want magic to do anything, and you get pretty good at it. What’s worse is you waste your time on these small birds and flowers. Not real terror birds, just those tiny fluff things.
    “chickens?”
    "Ya fake birds. You gotta do something courageous. Be bold. Nature is big and scary, nature magic is all about being even bigger and scarier. So scary that a mammoth will do whatever you want just cause you looked at it funny
    “And how would you know better than our arch druid, sand man?”
    "Cause I invented the damn magic. Just watch and I’ll show you what I mean.
    Dulnori reaches out, and yoinks a saber tooth right off the steppe, dropping it in on the ground. The rather miffed predator locks eyes with the terrified shaman, who summons every ounce of courage he has. After what seems like an eternity, the tiger bows. Dulnori tosses him back home.

    "See what I mean good shaman. It’s all about presence. Now then, my card.” Dulnori hands the bewildered man a playing card, with the words, “Dulnori’s school of steppe style shamanry. Located, in steppe. Just pray for it” written on it, and walks off.

    "Now, what was I supposed to be doing anyways. Oh yes, gifts for a baby. Well, with what I’ve seen, this baby will definitely need my help if they wanna be a proper contender in the fast paced world of nature magic.

    A few hours later a terror bird arrives in front of Petr, carrying another one of Dulnori’s cards in his beak.

    Spoiler: Help Petr
    Show
    +1 dreams. If Nerassus wants they can pray for guidance in the ways of shamanism. They’ll have a dream where they’re in the steppe, and the worm will be more than happy to tutor the child.


    The next day Dulnori woke up on a beach, blending in perfectly with the sand. He had apparently fallen off Sanctuary Isle while drunk, and the tide had carried him along. He was in a very good mood and decided to take his landing as an act of fate. He wandered for a time, when he heard another call, something about making amends. “Dang it, everyone keeps bugging me today. Let’s see what we’re working with,” as he senses the message his eyes light up, “this… is… the best thing anyone has ever made in the history of ever! A proper hero for the ages, and handsome too. A beast like this, why they deserve the Dulnori treatment.” Dulnori performs a familiar move, and Deja Vu is marked with the golden scale.

    Spoiler: Help Grawissen
    Show
    Deja Vu gains a single golden scale, like the Ceratopsians that came before it.
    +2 Ambition. Deja Vu shall have a great will and desire for fame and glory, perfect to encourage heroic deeds.
    +2 Fortune: The possessor of Deja Vu shall be blessed with an uncanny luck, all the better when their backs are on the wall.


    Dulnori was pleased at this discovery, but suddenly grew wistful. The majesty of such a creation reminded him of his own failures, and the duty he was shirking. “I’m a damned fool. Running around like this, while Elkhoof and the rest work do so much. Back to work it is.” He took his leaf form, and rode the winds away from Tria, intending to return home. However, when he landed he felt something unusual. COLD. He took rhino shape instantly, and had a look around while his fur warmed up. He had landed in the Gnaw Wastes, and took to wandering. The place was misery, cold beyond anything he had felt, and barren. He could tell that life was hard here, for everyone, but he also felt hope. He watched the brave Neanderthals and saw their struggle. They were a lonely people, isolated from all but their enemies, yet they never gave up. They carved out a life amid the ice, and found joy even in a place like this. These were a people he could respect. Moreover, he saw signs of another power. Great beasts roamed this land, and the neanderthals often had strange and wonderful forms they used to face danger. As Dulnori noticed this he felt something familiar surge through the earth. The maker of magic was working once again, and they wanted to make life bloom in this land. How could he not help? This land deserved the Dulnori treatment too.

    Spoiler: Help Su'ule
    Show
    Dulnori shall aid in making this land abundant.
    +2 Fortune: Harvests in the Gnaw Wastes shall be bountiful and consistent. Fate is on the people’s side, so famine shall be rare.
    +2 Ambition. The plants shall be both tasty and nutritious, thereby improving the neanderthals morale greatly. With healthier bodies and happier tongues they shall be both more able and more willing to take risks and perform acts of daring do.


    Dulnori was inspired now. He had a job to do, and he wasn’t going to let one failure stop him. He reached out, and pulled back the statue he’d made. His trip into a few souls had made him stronger, and he was determined. He breathed life into it once again, with renewed confidence and vigor. The statue shook and shuddered, it’s time was coming, but Dulnori wasn’t out of the woods yet. The dragons were vulnerable, a stillbirth could still occur. Dulnori realized his real issue. He was rushing into this difficult task alone. It is always in unity that people have strength, and the same is true of the gods. Dulnori searched and searched, until he finally came across the goddess of this land. “Greeting Su’ule, mother of monsters, maker of magic, and leader of the neanderthals. We haven’t met, but I’ve felt the ripple of your actions. I am the rhino, the whirlwind, the leaf, the worm, the sky, the spear, and the sun. I am Dulnori. I wish to create dragons of gold, creatures of wisdom and magic. I tried once before, but faltered, now I’m trying again and I need your help. They shall teach mortals a great deal, and will speak your name just as well as they shall speak my partner’s and mine. I know it shall be pleasing for all to hear. What do you say?

    Spoiler: Action 12 AP/8 DC create the Golden Dragons.
    Show
    Su’ule is able to react to this.
    The Golden Dragons appear and act much as mentioned before, although, should Su’ule aid, she may add a lesson she’d like them to teach.
    +2 Fortune: The Golden Dragons bless men. They grant gold and luck, listen to the prayers of the people, and alter the current of destiny.
    +2 Ambition: The Golden Dragons preach and teach. They spread the word of Dulnori and Nestellbam and encourage growth and glory. They are great trainers and teachers.
    +1 Dreams: A new addition, the Golden Dragons can emulate the worm and appear in the dreams of men. They do this to give omens and advice, and to aid in the progress of shamanism. Many steppe shamans shall first learn of their ability thanks to a Golden Dragon’s sleep message. They sometimes reach into the dreams of potential shamans outside the steppe, particularly neanderthals. The dreams model harsh steppe training, and the student’s gain a much better grasp over nature magic than they had before.


    After that encounter the leaf flew back home. Quickly he realized he’d forgotten entirely about his new real estate. The sand let himself fall deeper and deeper into the earth, until he had arrived in the divine realm. He was tired after all this work, and decided it would be good to make somewhere to rest. This would also help solve his little disappearing problem, or at least give him somewhere to be while that happened.

    Spoiler: Help Timorin
    Show
    Dulnori’s portion is called The Emerald Castle, a veritable resort that runs itself. It’s a huge building, colored green with emerald. The place is a perfect palace of pleasure, filled with attractions of all kinds, the most notable of which are the following.
    The Arcade- This is a huge room for recreation of all kinds. Card games and roulette wheels abound, not to mention fields for any sport a person could dream of. It plays with constructs it generates that look like humans with green skin and no blemishes. Prizes are common and bountiful, a visitor could easily leave with a ruby the size of their head. Of course, if a challenge is desired, The Emerald Castle can easily turn up the difficulty, and it’s skill in cards and sport is legendary.
    The Feast Hall- A massive table with delicacies prepared on the spot. No matter what it is the food shall always be healthy and filling, not to mention absolutely delicious. The supply is infinite, and you can take as much food as you can carry back home.
    The Hot Spring- A hot tub of epic proportions. The water is always as warm as it needs to be. A trip here will make you forget all your pains and sorrows.
    The Tar Pit- Dulnori’s personal equivalent of the above. He sleeps submerged in rhino form for relaxation, and this is where his body ends up between ages.

    The divivice for this realm is a great pillar just outside the eternal arena. Winners of the Miracle Games get the right to enter for a day, although the day always feels like it lasts longer than normal.

    +2 Fortune: The Emerald Castle is basically good fortune in physical form. It’s an unforgettable experience that always leaves you richer, literally and metaphorically
    +2 Ambition: The promise of The Emerald Castle shall drive men to search for the divivices.

  6. - Top - End - #156
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Chimera

    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Help Dulnori
    "Dulnori, long have I yearned to create something somewhat more than peaceable. I have created a dragon before, let's see if I can aid you in the creation of something a little different." [Help] + 2 Monsters, + 2 Sorcery, +1 Birth, - 2 Willfulness. Golden Dragons are definitely dragons, so they get the plus two bonus from the monster domain, they give birth, if they are female so they have the protection of dragon eggs. Dragon eggs are resilient and magical. Lastly Golden Dragons are extremely intelligent at sorcery. Unfortunately, Su'ule's help might make the Golden Dragons willful and quite wild when they are young. However, they learn from their mistakes and end up being wiser and more intelligent than most other species.[/Help]
    I am ArlEammon. I've been here since 2004, but I've lost access to my other account.

  7. - Top - End - #157
    Dwarf in the Playground
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Alatadriel sat among a troupe of Flame Dancers as they toured the countryside of Al-Setor. She watched over the dancers as they fluttered about, quite clumsy in their attempts to try and master the flame. Most sat learning breathing techniques, but there were a few who were already on their first leg of their journey. Alatadriel sat eating an apple with one of the ‘masters’ who was taking a break.

    “Do you find it easy? Living a happy life, that is?”

    “Do you not find it easy, Mistress?”

    “There are good days, there are bad days. But I’m not bound to die.”

    “You’re bound into some sort of dream state for many many lifetimes though. Is that not similar to a fear of death for you, Iridescent One?”

    “Well… It’s not exactly the same. It’s not like I don’t think, and I’m not seeing anything it’s just that… It’s all foggy. I slumber and it feels like... It feels like everything is happening at once. Like… Everything has happened only minutes ago, but also like an age has passed. It’s hard to describe. It’s not like when I go to bed in my mortal form, but all that information, it gets all jumbled in your head and you can’t really make it heads or tails of it even if you wanted too, and you never really want too... And then you wake up, and it feels like it never happened. You just feel… Rested afterward.”

    “That is not too far from death.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “Mortals you know. We have to live with death on our minds a lot. Most ignore it, but… Well… Just think of… A wave.” She looks out into the distance, where the ocean could be vaguely seen from the roadsides of Al-Setor. “A wave, it swells, and it thrashes, but when it breaks onto the shore… It’s no longer a wave. But that doesn’t mean it goes away. It just changes... I’ll die one day, spend my due in The Passing, and when I come back… I’ll wake up, and it will feel like it never happened. I’ll just feel rested.”

    Alatadriel sat with her head rested in her hand. She stayed this way for several minutes just staring out into the horizon as others worked around her. Seeing the god lost in thought, the master left her too her own devices as the troupe went back to work.

    As Alatadriel sat munching thoughtfully on an apple, she saw a figure far in the distance. “Dan-Dillion, could you hand me the spyglass? Someone is approaching us.”
    “Of course, Protector of The Hearth… But, any idea who it might be?”

    Alatadriel trained her sight into the distance, a woman ran headlong through the trees. She wore a plain beige cotton dress, but she wore a vibrant blue cloak over her head, the same color of a tropical sea. “A noble on the run by the looks of it.”

    “Alatadriel!” The woman yelled from across the plain, the fox goddesses keen ears being the only one to hear her.

    “Noble on the run? Is she being chased? Should we send help?”

    Alatadriel looked distracted. “No, uh she looks fine… But, uh, I think she’s looking for me.”

    Dan-Dillion lounged back into his chair. “Well, you are a god, immortal mistress. That only sounds natural to me.”

    “I don’t know. It feels a bit different… I’m going out to meet her. She looks a bit concerned… No need to follow.” Alatadriel snapped her fingers.

    ~~~

    With a puff of smoke, Alatadriel appeared before the woman. As the woman got a sense of her bearings again, she grabbed Alatadriel tightly and embraced her. ”You have no idea what I went through to see you again!” She sobbed into Alatadriel’s breast. “I’m, oh, geez.” Alatadriel stood there unsure of what to do with her hands. They were held outwards as if she was afraid to touch the woman. The woman choked a little before speaking. “You… You don’t remember me, but… Could you please let me hold you a little longer?”
    Alatadriel tentatively wrapped her arms around the smaller woman. Really, she was rather large, not in the same sense of Alatadriel, an imposing graceful figure. Large much in the same way a fireplace is large. Broad and plain and at a distance the red brick may seem cruel, but up close it was welcoming and warm. Alatadriel ran a hand down the back of the woman. As she shifted her hands she noticed a subtle but noticeable bulge in her clothing. “You know, you really shouldn’t exhaust yourself. It’s bad for the baby.”

    The woman gave a soft chuckle. “That’s uh, what I came here to talk about, actually… It’s…” She hesitated. “There’s not really an easy way to say it, but… Oh, I should have rehearsed… No, no. My child is… Uh, yours as well.”

    Alatadriel’s face did not change, but her hands tightened slightly. “I think you are mistaken. I don’t even know your name.”

    “It’s Magus Ravenhold.” She didn’t let go of Alatadriel. “My friends call me Maggie.” She moved a strand of hair away from Alatadriel’s face. “You really do look like you came from one of my dreams… Which, I guess you did.”

    Alatadriel moved her hands up to stroke the hair Magus. “Listen, honey. I appreciate the compliment, and you aren’t bad looking yourself. But I’m not the one you’re looking for. Regardless of who you saw in your dreams.

    Maggie frowned. “Do you really not remember? Oh, we danced for what seemed like hours under a full moon. We had a stroll through a moonlit beach, you took me to bed. Oh, I had thought it was just a dream, how could a goddess possibly take interest in me, but… Here I am, with a child.”

    “I really don’t remember you. I’m sorry to disappoint.” Alatadriel said freeing herself from the grip of the smaller woman

    Magus pounded lightly on Alatadriel’s chest. “No, No. I know that it was you! I know! I’m not an idiot! I know what happened! You were-It was the first hour of the party. You were embarrassed because someone pulled at one of your tails, and I was there! I was there at the side of the party because my date stood me up, and I was having an awful time! And you were there for me, and I was there for you! It was magical.” Magus deflated as she wiped a tear away. “You really don’t remember. I thought you were different. You… You told me that sometimes, you wished that you stayed a fox. You know that?”

    Alatadriel’s face lit up with recognition for the first time.

    Spoiler: A vague recollection
    Show
    Alatadriel was there all gussied up, and ready to be praised, but… Ugh, Sanctuary. Her mood was ruined quickly. And Alatadriel sat embarrassed, aggravated, and most of all somber on the beachside. Skipping rocks into the ocean.
    “Why’d I even come to this stupid party.”

    Magus took a seat next to Alatadriel. “Tell me about it.” Her mascara had run across her face. Alatadriel remembered her slumping over, in her big, poofy white dress and her black hair she looked a bit like a burnt dumpling… In a kind of cute way.

    “Like, the host is such a drag, and everyone is like way too polite, and Ugh, I should have worn something lighter, it’s so humid here. I feel like my dress is going to take some of me with it when I take it off.” Alatadriel loosened her collar a bit. “And I just had like this big blowout with a friend. Over something that he’s blaming ME of all people for! When he was trying to screw everyone over, and no one could see it.”

    Magus took a sip from her flagon. Losing a couple of layers herself. “The humidity is not so bad, you get used to it after a while. The party though… I felt like I couldn’t breathe, it was so suffocating, being in there with everyone I knew ”

    “Yeah. things used to be so much more solitary back in the day. It’s kind of hard to get used to the way things are now.”

    Magus scratched the back of her head. “So… I thought I was getting somewhere with this guy Tyler.”

    “Yeah?” Alatadriel drank from her cup.

    “Yeah, he’s like funny, and he’s like big and strong and tall. Yunno, like the whole package.”

    Alatadriel looked towards Maggie. “Yeah, I can imagine.”

    “Well, he said that he was gonna go with me… But, oh jeez.” She blew her nose into a napkin. “When he went to get drinks, I was gonna check on him. And I find him in the arms of freaking Misty! Like he doesn’t even know that she already has a boyfriend! And like… It was this big thing, and I totally freaked out. And he’s saying all this stupid stuff to me. That it wasn’t what it looked like, and all this. And I get really upset, and well... I end up crying in the bathroom. And I try to go back to the party but now everyone is like ‘what happened, Maggie?’ ‘Oh, I feel so bad for you Maggie’, and it’s just like coming nonstop, so I just end up crying even more because I’m so dumb, which makes me even more upset… And like… I just wanna scream.”

    Alatadriel looked around. “I mean no one is around. You could do that now if you’d like.”

    “Oh no, no. I couldn’t do that.”

    “Come on, it could be fun.”

    Magus looked around as well… “Maybe just once.” She got up and looked out into the ocean, cupping her hands over her mouth. “FUUUUCK YOU TYYYYLEEERRR!!”

    Alatadriel laughed as she grabbed Maggie’s shoulders. Helping balance her in the shifting sand. “There doesn’t that feel better?”

    Magus giggled but drew her arms in closer. “A little bit, but not really.” She wiped another tear from her eye. “Jeez, I feel so stupid getting upset over him. I know he’s not worth it, but it… It still hurts you know.”

    “Hey, hey. Don’t let someone have that kind of control over you. Come on, we can have a good time without him. Let’s go back to the party, show off how much fun we’re having.”

    Magus sniffled. “Oh, I couldn’t handle that. All those eyes on me.” Maggie’s eyes looked into Alatadriel’s. “How about we just have our own little party. Yunno, just the two of us.”

    Alatadriel hesitated. It felt wrong spending all this time with a mortal and one who talked so passively to her… But everything just came so easily. “Yeah,” She said her frown quickly turning into a smile. “I think I’d like that.”

    It couldn’t have been more than two hours, but it felt like an eternity. They danced, they sung, they talked, and talked, and drank, and ate, and danced some more. Sometimes, it was good to be treated like a mortal... No, it wasn’t the same as being treated like a mortal. She knew what she was, but… It didn’t bother her.
    … What was she talking about? She hated this, she always demanded respect, but… It felt good. To not be judged. To not have expectations. To have someone act like they didn’t know you. It felt strange, it was good… But not. It made her chest feel light, but far away.

    One thing had led to another, and Alatadriel had found herself in Maggie’s house… And well, you know how these types of stories end.


    Alatadriel sat on the edge of the bed. She was looking at her hands, thinking everything over as Maggie read a scroll by her bedside. Her hands. It was something that had taken time to get used to. Paws, they felt so much more natural, but sometimes it felt like she had always had hands. It was so hard to remember everything. It was so long ago. She had begun to forget a lot of feelings. Normalcy. That’s what she was feeling. She turned her hand into that of a paw, laying it over her other hand. She hadn’t felt normal in a long time. Because she wasn’t normal. Everything came easy to her now. So much of what drove her as a fox, what drives humans now. It was gone for her. She could never get it back. But… She felt normal now.
    Normal… She strove her life to be more than normal to be better. What struggle is there now though?
    She let out a deep sigh as she turned her paw back into a hand.

    Magus put her scroll down. “Is there something bothering you, Ala?”

    “Ala?”

    “Your name is a bit long.”

    “What? It isn’t! It’s the perfect length. It took a lot of time to decide on that name, you know.” Ala said indignantly

    Magus took Alatadriel’s hand. “It’s a beautiful name, but something’s bothering you.”

    Alatadriel let out another sigh. “Okay, but you can’t tell anyone. And I mean no one, not a single soul. Not even your soul could tell anyone.”

    Maggie chuckled. “My lips are sealed. I’ll take it to the grave, and beyond. I’ll swear my life… And my unlife.”

    Alatadriel hesitated. Staying silent for more than a minute. “I… I miss being a fox.”

    “Can’t you still be a fox?”

    “I mean… yeah, but it’s not the same. I miss how simple it was. All of my goals were easy, understandable. Get food, find a place to sleep, don’t get stepped on. That’s all I had to worry about. But now, it’s all about the future, what’s right, what’s wrong.”

    “You’re growing up. Learning more about the world.”

    “... I guess I wouldn’t really know. It’s…” Alatadriel rubbed her temples. “I don’t think the same way anymore. It’s so different. It was like… Who am I? What is the world? All the big questions. It’s not that I just didn’t think them. It was like I couldn’t think them. But now everything, it just pounds on my head until I can quiet it. And sometimes it’s easy. It was easy when we danced, but right now it’s hard. All of them swirling around. Questioning all my actions.”

    Magus laid down staring at the ceiling. “That’s what being a human is like. You’re getting used to emotions that you’re not familiar with. And it’s easy to shut them out. But you have to acknowledge them. It sounds to me like you’re having regrets.”

    “Regret… I think that I regret a lot of things. But… Not staying a fox, a mortal. I think that I regret that most of all. I used to be able to achieve my goals. But…” A blue flame sprung up in Alatadriel’s hand. “All this power. I can achieve so much, but, it’s like everything that matters, the really big differences I could make. Stuff that matters. It’s like it’s all out of my reach now. I want to teach them, but if they’re doing it just because I said so then what have they learned? And… And.” Alatadriel changed into a human form. “I’m sorry, but I need to leave.”

    “What? Where are you going?”

    “I… I just need some air, okay. This… This Isn’t right.”

    “What isn’t right? You’re opening up. There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s good… You’re good. You… You love me right?”

    “That’s… It’s, It’s complicated! We just met. I need some air! I need to think.”

    “You can’t run away from your problems. It’d be better just to confront them now.”

    “I-I’m not running away! I’m fine. I just… Need some time to think.”

    Magus wrapped herself up in her blankets. Covering her modesty as she half got up. “Listen… I’m not going to make you stay. I… I definitely couldn’t even if I tried. But, I don’t think you should be alone right now. Sometimes it’s better to work out feelings together. And this is one of those times”

    Alatadriel changed her outfit into one better for the chillier weather of the night. She turned as she opened the door. “I’m leaving Maggie.”

    “Will I see you again?”

    Alatadriel hesitated as she walked through the door, but she didn’t turn back to Magus. “I don’t know. I just don’t know Maggie.”
    Magus was left all alone in her house. Only the thumping of her heart to keep her company.


    Alatadriel sat down at the bar with a dour look on her face. “Give me a drink, a big one.”


    Alatadriel grabbed Magus tightly. Pulling her in for a kiss. “I was so stupid to leave you.” She stroked Magus’s hair. “I had a miserable time afterward.”

    Maggie giggled. “I hate to say that I’d I told you so, buut…”

    “No, No. I deserve it. I… I don’t know how I could make it up to you. Leaving you like that. It was awful, it was terrible. I-I”

    “It’s alright.”

    “It’s not alright. You went through so much, You had to cross a sea, and find out where I was, you must have been searching for months, and-and-”

    Magus took hold of Alatadriel’s hands. “And we’re together now.”

    “Why? Why did you even come back?”

    “I… Well I didn’t have much of a choice. No one believed me, and well… One thing led to another, and… Well, I lost my job, my parents kicked me out. My friends distanced themselves from me, and well… I got the next boat out of there. ”

    Alatadriel looked appalled. “That’s terrible, I’m so sorry. I just… I really don’t know how you could forgive me.”

    “Alatadriel.” Magus gripped her hands more tightly. “I… I never really fit in. I’m not really sure why. I kept blaming myself. I must have come up with a million different explanations why. A million different reasons to blame myself. Maybe it was my weak magic, maybe I’m just awkward, maybe I’m just too romantic. And I thought that if I worked a little bit harder, I could overcome this. And I dreaded it, living a normal life. But then you came and for the first time. I felt like I didn’t have to prove myself… Instead of pretending, I just… Felt normal as I was.”

    Alatadriel looked down into Magus’s eyes, one hand placed around her back, and the other stroking her long raven hair. “I really love you.” Alatadriel planted a kiss on Magus’s forehead. “I really, really love you. You know that?”

    ~~~

    Alatadriel and Magus came back to the camp, arms linked around each other. Magus was giggling as she leaned against the taller goddess. “Oh, you should have seen the look on Misty’s face. Oh, is that a bit mean? It’s probably a bit mean… But-”
    Alatadriel laughed. “But it was pretty funny.”

    One of the masters among the troupe let out a single hearty laugh. “Well, how goes it with the runaway noble?”

    Magus blushed as Alatadriel curtsied to the master. “Ah, you haven’t been introduced. Dan-Dillion, this Magus Ravenhold. She’s my… Mate? No, no… Humans don’t use that. Ah… I can never remember-”

    Magus already bright red waved frantically “She’s my fiance. The word is fiance, dear.”

    The master gave a loud, prolonged laugh. “Ahaha! Seems you got along a bit better than expected.”

    “It’s a long story.” Magus stood awkwardly. Some of the students turned to look towards the couple as they saw their goddess coming back with a woman.

    “So… Don’t mean to be rude, but when’s the wedding? Wouldn’t want to miss something like that. It’d be the event of the century.”

    “Oh, no, no. We were planning on having a smaller event.” Magus said. “Yunno, just friends and family-Well, I can’t invite either of those now that I think about it.”

    “I… Don’t think I have either of those,” Alatadriel said, a bit sad.

    “You could invite some of the gods?” Dan-Dillion said

    “Eh, I don’t know if that’s the best idea, yunno… They don’t get along all that well on the best days. Dumpling, do we really want the gods at our wedding?”

    Maggie nervously shook her head. “Oh, I couldn’t imagine more than one.”

    “Maybe one?”

    “Two Max.”

    The master bowed to the two. “Well, if I may humbly request. We are still quite far from Al-Setor. If you have any needs for me, You may simply ask. It has been long since I have had the need, but I have been ordained as a priest.”

    ~~~

    A mixture of grumbling and excitement was heard as the wedding started. It was early in the morning before the sun crested the sky. The wedding site overlooked a steep sea cliff. The cries of gulls and the soft crash of the gulf had some of the students asleep in their seats. Others would wake each other up not wanting to miss the big moment. Various makeshift chairs were set up on the two sides of the aisle. One half seated was the various people that made up the troupe of Fire Dancers. The other half was a group of foxes and hua-ling that were sitting dutifully on the chairs. On each side, there was a chair reserved in the front row. One reserved for Kahar-Djin and the other side a seat reserved for Chern who were both invited.
    In the middle was a raised platform with a podium, behind it stood the master of the troupe, wearing a fine pressed white garment, a stole hung around his neck, with stylized flames dotting the ends of it. There sat various floral arrangements on the sides of the platform. Red lilies, fox flower, and pink roses interspersed tastefully with purple irises and blue morning glories. Two vines, one a pastel orange trumpet vine, and the other a vibrant arrangement of morning glories blue with lines of a pure white lining them. The two vines tangled together in the middle growing alongside the metal archway placed at the stairs to the platform.
    Standing below the podium was a small fire pit, crackling gently, the pit was a shining bronze that was lowered into the platform. The lip of the pit extended outwards several feet.

    The two blushing brides stood fixing each other’s dresses in a caravan as the visitors waited expectantly. “Did you really have to invite the foxes?” Magus asked.

    Alatadriel tightened the binds of the corset that Magus was wearing. “Well… I made the hua-ling, and it’s probably been enough generations that the foxes are… Somehow related to me. So they’re a kind of family.”

    Maggie dabbed at the corner of Alatadriel’s eye. Fixing her uneven makeup. “Family is a bit overrated if you ask me, but if they make you happy dear.” She reapplied eyeliner to Alatadriel. “I thought you hated Chern though?”

    Alatadriel straightened the position of the hair ornament on Magus “It’s a bit complicated. He’s nice, but he kind of creeps me out. I thought he’d curse us or something if we didn’t invite him… And I haven’t had the best relationship with all the gods. Timorin is a bit too… Dramatic for our wedding, Ymon is a little too excitable and Thal creeps me out worse than Chern, and the others are too far away for you to know about.”

    Magus reapplied her lipstick before giving a little spin for her fiance. “How do I look?”

    Alatadriel had a far off look on her face. “You’re as beautiful as the opulent night sky as the bright aurora glows.”

    “The Aurora?”

    “Oh, it’s something an old friend of mine showed me. At the ends of the earth, during certain times of the year, the sky burns with beautiful purples, blues, and reds. I’ll have to show you, it’s a transcendent experience. Seeing the bright lights interplay in the sky.” Alatadriel gave a soft sigh as she remembered her friend.

    Magus reached up and caressed the face of Alatadriel. “I don’t have the same way with words, but I do have a good memory. ‘Now Love, the ineluctable, With bittersweetness fills me, Overwhelms me, and shakes my being’-Sapphos.”

    The couple swayed gently back and forth in each other’s hands. “Bitter sweetness huh?”

    “It sounded better in my head.”

    Alatadriel tittered “Oh, I couldn’t imagine something as sweet, and daring. A blending of decadent chocolate as dark as night and bitter as winter with the midsummer sweetness of ripe raspberry, tasting of the soft rays of a lazy day. The bitterness only adds to the taste, it does not subtract. For how could winter take away from the summer day?”

    Magus let out a high pitched giggle. “I hope you saved some of the flattery for your vows.”

    Alatadriel looked out towards the horizon as the grey blues of morning started to slowly change color “Oh, we better hurry! I want the light to be just right for this.”


    The two brides walked with each other down the aisle. Some of the students clapped as the two brides in their immaculate outfits walked down the aisle, waking up other barely awake members of the audience. Some of the foxes though confused yipped in appreciation at their master as the two went down the aisle. The guests quieting down some as the band started to play.
    Magus and Alatadriel took their place on opposite sides of the fire, staying within the bronze lip of the fire. They took two unlit candles that stood off the bronze lip and held them neatly in their hands. The priest motioned to the crowd to come to a new quiet as the band played a softer tune.
    “Friends, families, and followers. We are here gathered here today not only to share in this union between two souls but to exalt our beloved goddess, The Divine Iridescent Elegance of Vu-”

    “You can skip the titles,” Alatadriel said quickly.

    “Of our beloved goddess, Alatadriel. Who has found love among mortals with the beautiful Magus Ravenhold of Sanctuary. Knowing that this holy rite is unbreakable, may you take your seven steps forward towards this holy union.”

    Alatadriel talked as she put one foot forward. The sun peeked up from the horizon as she started. “I swear by the moon, and the stars, and all the gods above to love, and cherish, and honor you with all my heart.”
    She took another step forward “Through thick, and thin, through your ups and downs. I will be there for you like so many never were.
    For the first time in my long existence, I feel like I don’t deserve something. To do better not only by you but by myself.
    You make me remember what it was like to be a mortal. To have uncertainty thump in your chest as you go about your day, to feel needed, and to feel equal. To feel all that I have missed.
    You humble me. For I can move the mountains, the heavens and the sky, but I am powerless against that force known as love
    I was scared at first. I turned away from my feelings and this fear has caused me to commit some actions that I'm not proud of. Regret another emotion that I forgot.” Alatadriel stooped down low and lit her candle on the fire pit.
    “And despite all of this, you were always there for me. With patience and perseverance, you taught me not to be afraid, to open up and to let love into my life.” With her last step, she stepped off the bronze lip.

    Magus started her seven steps "I swear by the moon, and the stars, and all the gods above to love, and cherish, and honor you with all my heart.
    Through the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and through a sea of troubles. For when you are sick, and when you’re tired. I will be there beside you like I was when we first met.
    For almost all my years, I felt estranged and distant. Like a woman looking in on her own life. And what a miserable lot I had, but like the flame of a cottage on a weary path, there you were.
    I remembered what it was to feel better than okay. To feel like myself. Free of expectations and worries, it was like a weight lifted from my chest, I could finally breathe.
    You gave me confidence when I had none. I could shout, and yell, and dance without feeling like someone was watching.
    It felt like a dream that would burst the moment that you let it go. Something soft, and ephemeral. I thought that It was meant for someone so rough and plain like me.
    But you taught me to accept myself. I could allow dreams to become a reality as rough and plain as the hearth that warmed me at night. And now I’ll have my dream warm my bed at night.” As Magus took her last step she lit her candle off the flame of Alatadriel’s.

    “Now sharing in the flame of heavenly love. Please, present each other. The tokens of your love.” The couple both carefully set their candles into a dikirion.

    Alatadriel extended her hands as she brought out a necklace with a black cord, holding a rectangular carved pendant at the end. The glittering silver pendant depicted a fox sleeping peacefully against a fireplace at the foot of its master’s chair. She carefully moved Magus’s hair as she placed the necklace on her neck.
    Magus brought out her necklace. It was a rough leather cord on which a collection of polished semi-precious stones were placed. Primarily jasper, but with other stones such as tigers eye and sardonyx. At the end of the necklace was a large fire agate carved with a simple wave cresting the ocean on the pendant. Alatadriel helped Magus as she struggled somewhat to get the necklace on the taller woman.

    “Alatadriel do you take Magus Ravenhold to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

    “More than anything in the world.” The couple both looked deeply into each other’s eyes as they both held their candles across from each other.

    “Magus Ravenhold do you take Alatadriel to be your lawfully wedded wife.”

    “More than you could imagine.”

    “May we now extinguish the fires of your previous lives so that the fires of passion may burn within you anew.” Two helpers readied large buckets of water near the firepit. “As the candles, you have placed upon the dikirion melt, they will become one with each other. Upon that time, you will truly be able to call each other wives.” The helpers dumped their buckets into the firepit, as the steam ascended into the sky, the priest said. “You may now kiss the bride.”

    Alatadriel, hesitating for but a second had Magus taking the lead. Looking rather strange as the shorter woman dipped Alatadriel down low. She stopped for a moment, booping her wife on the nose “Have I ever told you how much I love you?” Of all the kisses they had together, this was perhaps the most passionate.


    ~~~

    The couple laid down on a bed of soft grass, snuggled together in a large blanket they looked up into the fiery sky above. “I told you that it was transcendent didn’t I?”

    Magus looked up into the sky as the aurora danced above like heavenly dancers. “I know, but… Well, I don’t know what I imagined, but I certainly couldn’t imagine anything like this.”

    Alatadriel snuggled in closer. “I should have brought another blanket though. I didn’t expect it to be quite so cold this time of the month.”

    Magus had a sly grin on her face. “You know what’d help you warm up?”

    Alatadriels hands reached down low “I think, I know what you’re talking about.”

    Magus’s face grew red as she moved on top of Alatadriel “Ready for round 2?”
    I prefer a keg of beer!

  8. - Top - End - #158
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    [Originally posted 2/4/20]
    Valrion, Ulmor, Ragdios, and More - The Empire of the Sugradi:

    After Valrion and the two that were there for it’s creation had left the changed palace of Holy High they had decided to travel across the empire, for Valrion wished to see the empire that they would take as their own with their own eyes. They visited all the different sorts of kingdoms of the empire, and traveled from the frozen northern frontier to the sweltering lowlands They traveled in relative secrecy, with the three rarely revealing their true identities; though at times it was too much for the vessel and it revealed it’s true self to those they met.

    The first kingdom they visited was the Gragani kingdom of Silver Roads, where the Valrion was able to obtain much needed goods that it had never considered before (food being a concept that was particularly hard for the vessel to grasp at first). With it’s companions eager fervor, they were able to quickly obtain powerful exotic perfumes that almost covered the vessels horrendous smell. Ulmor was happily surprised when Valrion proved a natural trader, knowing just when someone felt they still had a good deal while still making a profit naturally, and decided to encourage the vessel to get involved in local trade.They did not stay long, for Ragdios insisted that they leave, fearing the influence of these merchants on the vessel.




    Moving north along the Gleaming Road they next entered an Ulister queendom called Liliy Bloom. The vessel and it’s companions took their time to view the beauty of the land and its people. One morning while visiting one of the local markets for supplies, Valrion met the young princess of the land by chance of fate and was invited back to the queendom’s palace after she recognized the counselor Ragdios. At first meeting Valrion, the queen of this land knew who the vessel was, for with one gaze her sharp eyes could not see the vessel as anything but divine; yet with few words between them she agreed to keep the vessel’s secret.

    Here the kind giants gave wise advice, knowledge of the body, and taught the vessel much about what it means to be kind even to Luvit. One night the young princess of the land was struck with deadly sickness of a powerful curse, some remnant of spite from the mutants of the north that would steal one of the royal daughter’s every ten winters at dawn. None of the healing knowledge of the Ulister’s worked, and not even the Wizard of Healing Waters knew of a cure to this sudden illness. A luvit came to Valrion and their companions in the middle of the night to beg for the aid of the counselor; yet he could give none, for his strength waned during the night light all good users of magic. Instead Ragdios had Valrion go for as he stated to the vessel “The dawn walks within you, even in the darkest night.” Within moments of having entered the princesses, the shining light that came from Valrion’s hands had shattered the curse and let the princess rest in peace.




    Thinking that if they stayed any longer that the vessel’s identity would be found out before they wished to reveal themselves, the three departed further north to the cold lands of the Icandans. Here the vessel was not welcomed, no matter what sweet words they used. The Icandan’s were not a very open people to outsiders at the best of times, but now they were in the mists of two attacks upon them from the barbaric mutants of the north and the stupid men of Sur on their swift steeds to the south. A century of Tradano had arrived to aid the Icandan’s, though they were fully focused on defeating the mutants (who were too much for such a small force) and ignored the Sur. The Valrion, using a bird of ice crafted by Ulmor, tracked down the Sur and drove them away from the good lands of the empire.

    Having defeated the Sur Valrion traveled north to drive off the mutants, deciding to engage when the Tradano did, though it soon became clear that this was going to be a far harder task for the vessel. The mutants were not men, but fleshy monsters vaguely humanoid that tore the land before them with rage and fire. Seeing these vicious flames made the Valrion hesitate, the dark dream of the evil godlings in its mind; even making them run away (for a time at least), only returning once Ulmor had found vessel and spoke of the plight of the soldiers who were bravely fighting the mutants. Ulmor was just in time, for when Valrion had returned the battle was lost and the Tradono were fighting axe to claw with the mutants, their hoplite wall shattered. With one hand covering their eyes, the vessel let for the first time the power of Yir into the world (though somewhat contained, not trusting what would happen otherwise).

    Up on high quickly taking the situation in, the sun spoke down with booming words as beams of cleansing light scoured the mutants: “I am the Pure Lord Above, Yir, and by MY power shall barbarity and sorcery not rule this day!” The mutants could not withstand this attack, and were nearly slaughtered to the last before one or two of the more talented sorcerers could escape. The Tradono cheered, their lives saved by their god in an obvious miracle, with Valrion’s involvement in bringing down the god’s power not known for years to come.

    The Icandans did hear of Valrion’s deeds with the Sur, which with the mutants defeat lead to them treating the vessel as a guest for a time. For a time Valrion learned what they could of the strange sorceries and hermit knowledge of the mystics, but had no time to properly learn the magic of these people or the knowledge passed down through their shamans. After a moon, Valrion and their companions decided to continue their journey.




    The next leg of the companions journey lead them to the eternally cold lands of the Cavpo and the many minor clans that lived among the Northern Stonethroe Mountain region. It would have taken them months to travel across these mountains to Tumeria if it were not for Ulmor’s knowledge of the Cavpo settlements and secret roads.

    Though Ulmor was glad to return to his home, even able to spend two days back in his personal lab at one point, Valrion and Ragdios could not stand the Cavpo settlements that were bereft of the sun above (though Valrion was still amazed at the dark world that was below them, something completely alien to them before then).

    At one point the Circle of Arch-Wizards appeared before the vessel, the Arch-Wizard of Divination having seen the coming of the vessel of Yir weeks beforehand in the ‘stars below’. Each of the Arch-Wizards swore fealty to the vessel, and offered items of magic, trying to get into the good gracious of the vessel before it inevitably took the empire for its own. Valrion became engaged in conversation, returning the intentions of the wizards, with Ulmor and Ragdios left to watch on the sideline. As things progressed, Ulmor noticed that Valarion was becoming a bit too engaged (starting to consider many radical ideas the Arch-Wizards had), and quickly had Ragdios help him remove the enthralled vessel from the situation. It apparently was no magic that held the vessel, simply the giants own desire for change and appeasement overwhelming the vessel.



    [DINO STUFF]

    Eventually the three giants had finished their crossing over the mountains and reached the green lands of Tumeria. A welcome relief after enduring the frost for so long. Ragdios nearly dragged the vessel to the various temples of the kingdoms they passed along the rivers they traveled. In these lands Valrion noticed the lives of luvits in detail for the first time, and was surprised at how similar they were to the blessed Sugradi; however intentional it was.

    Here the Valrion encountered some of the strangest creatures yet in its life, for among the forested lands of Tumeria a vicious group of fiends had been destroying luvit villages and homes, with many sugradi of various clans being injured or even killed as well (mostly Tradano hunters). Strange beasts had appeared, calling themselves ceratopsians, seeking shelter; and while they claimed innocence and ignorance to the attacks, they were locked in iron cages and treated with little respect (though few thought that they were actually the attackers, no one was sure).

    Valrion themself saw the beasts and flew into a rage at the state of care they were given, for these creatures had been blessed by Yir to have majesty in their souls that was now being belittled.

    “These creatures are of another sort then us, yes, but they are still beings with the spark of majesty in their souls! Release them!”

    The Tradano did not, wishing to see the real culprits before giving any trust to the ceratopsians. Valrion, after a few words from Ragdios, agreed to this to ease the Tradano’s minds on the matter and punish the real monsters. Though for the time being they left their two companions behind while they hunted with the Tradano to make sure that the ceratopsians were treated fairly.

    When the vessel finally caught-up with the real culprits, it ended quickly. The majority of the raptors had gathered together into a large pack, traveling across the outskirts of Tumeria from village to village. Everywhere they went, either their bloodlust got the better of them and they surprised the inhabitants or the village would attack the bloody raptors when they did try diplomacy. When Valrion gazed upon the pack, they were enraged. These beings were blessed with an inner majesty as well, yet were consumed by their bloodlust, slaughtering sugradi and luvit’s alike.

    Calling upon their innate power once again, Valrion cracked the earth with a stomp of their foot so deeply that the pack would not be able to easily escape, and had the surprised Tradano watch for any that would try. As the raptors shook in fear and awe, gazing at the now shining figure before them, they heard.

    “How dare you, how DARE you TARNISH the MAJESTY inside your souls?! You who hold light within your souls DARE harm those with that same light? The scale of these dishonorable acts are unforgivable, you cannot even give your own lives to remove this stain upon your honor. You beasts deserve-” the vessel stopped for a moment as it looked down at the raptors, and while no other mammalian being might have been able to easily recognize it, Valrion felt not just the fear and awe but also regret. It was painful to accept, but something had to be done. “-...to fight to become better.... I promise you, you shall have the chance. One day your kind shall be worthy of the light in your souls.”

    A brave raptor spoke up “Whenssss thisss day to come?”

    “When the lives lost by your Folly, and all future lives that would have been, are returned twofold by each of you and your blood. You shall return with me, but before then I shall have each of you swear oaths unbreaking before you depart, those refusing to accept penance shall die as the beasts they are.” Gravely, inspired, and in-between the raptors swore oaths under the light that none but they and Valrion remember.

    When Valrion returned to their companions with the raptors in tow, everyone was astonished at the ‘taming’ of the beasts. The vessel raised their hand to silence these words from the Tradano. “They are not beasts, but those that shall seek the honor lost in their Folly. As long as they repent, as long as they strive for the day in another far away Age where they can be forgiven, then they shall be taught, and go where you go so that they may gain honor.” Surprisingly, these Tradano actually accepted, though they did so more out of wanting to use the raptors rather than work with them, but Valrion knew that in short time they would be able to acknowledge one another as compatriots.

    The ceratopsians were released, escorted outside of Tumeria (which had seen enough scaly folk), many of them headed towards the icy lands of the Cavpo (at Ulmor’s suggestion of them being welcomed there) though most headed to the queendom of Green Side where they were greeted with a great deal of hesitation, but overall were able to begin to establish themselves.





    [Originally posted 2/9/20: Perfection and Retribution:]

    Valrion, Yir - Outside Yimor the City of Shining Bronze and Stone - Perfection:

    After their travels the demi-god had decided that they would move towards the capital Yimor (also known as the city of shining bronze and stone) to see the heart of the empire up close, though they’re heart still yearned to see more of the empire (and perhaps past it) afterwards before taking up the throne. The sights and adventures the vessel has seen were things it valued greatly, for they were so much… more than the slow moving image of the world.

    A day before the vessel was to arrive at the city, on a whim it decided to take a long detour off the Gold Road and visit one of the shrines that dotted the lands of the Sugradi; the shining path to it drawing the vessel towards the holy site of Yir. Valrion was no fool and knew that they were being called by Yir, it’s majesty trying to subtly call the vessel to a place where it wished to talk.

    The shrine that Yir had drawn the vessel towards was a simple one, a marble floor with a few pillars surrounding a bronze statue of the sun which on this day alone glowed with the holy light of Yir as it focused it’s gaze down upon this place. As Valrion stode forward onto the marble floor it noticed that Yir was reserved, not letting itself feel much, yet the sense of duty and frustration mutely there. It spoke to Valrion with a commanding voice.

    “My vessel of light that walks this world, your journey must end and you must rule the blessed with MY light.”

    This was not unexpected, yet Valrion questioned “Why must I stop my journey now? I’ve grown fond of this life of travel and I still save those that I encounter.”

    The frustration in Yir flared for with a tinge of anger. “You would dare question MY will? YOU might not be able to tell, but to the east in the Silver Wastes where the blessed wither from the harsh heat the heretical Muji of the City of Blue Stone gathers his armies to attack this empire of my blessed. I know not the details for few are of my light within the land, I know they praise MY name and yet for some reason insist on their heresy.”

    Insulted Valrion spat back “I can deal with them myself, there is no need for me to be emperor now.”

    “There is! They need to still fight their own wars unless absolutely necessary. It helps them grow, for every war makes them greater. You are needed to help them through these struggles, help them grow. Not fight their battles for them.”

    Yir was now angry, yet Valrion could not help but state: “How could horror and terror make them grow?”

    Yir was going to answer the vessel's question, but it’s anger got the best of it. “How DARE you continue to question MY sight! Your mind has grown weak and your soul is more corrupt with every night. I truly thought that the cursed godlings corruption would wither before the inner light within your soul, but I was wrong. I see that it has grown with time to consume you! I will NOT allow this! You shall be PURIFIED!”

    Fear entered Valrion’s heart for the first time since they were upon the Grey Plains, for it knew it just pushed Yir too far. As light began to consume it the vessel yelled with fear “NO, please! Light Above, don’t do this to me! I- I wish to not change!” Yir did not heed the vessel’s plea, indeed those words just made it more angry. Yelling in anguish Valrion screamed to the world around it “I want to be ME!”

    It’s not often seen, but sometimes when someone screams out in anguish something DOES listen to you. For the consuming light around the vessel wavered and the changes it was making were denied absolute perfection. Not much but this wrinkle might at some point be the vessel’s salvation.

    Spoiler: Action
    Show
    Influance Single Mortal 1 AP/ 1 DC (15 AP remaining)

    Yir perfects the Vessel (Valrion) to be more suited to its needs, mainly by heavily reducing the influence the other gods gave it, but also by trying to strengthen the connection the gamble god severed.

    +2 Sun: The Vessel ties to the sun are strengthened. As long as it’s in sunlight, the Vessel gains the power to teleport to anywhere else where there is Yir’s sunlight (including other planes). If the Vessel uses this power, Yir will know where they left and where they teleported to. The Vessel loses the dream where it kills Yir, the memory and impact completely wiped away as well as the ambition to subvert Yir’s position (though it retains its own ambitions, they are targeted towards something else which is heavily influenced by Yir).

    +2 Giant: The body of the Vessel becomes perfected, it’s form becomes something that cannot be pierced, hampered, or changed; and it’s glowing beauty is something that none can deny (it looks subtly different for different people). This body has no need for food, drink, or even air (though it could still indulge in these things, Yir did not think of that). The horrible stench from the decay god is gone, replaced with a comforting smell that always makes those more at ease (different for each person).

    +2 Majesty: The mind of Valrion is subverted to the will of the sun god. Any command that Yir gives the Vessel cannot be ignored or disobeyed by the Vessel (though it can do word-play as to what Yir commands). However, the Vessel also gains a minor version of this power, able to enforce any oaths it’s ever taken from others with godly power (restricted to one oath per creature, not applicable to gods, path masters or Su sorcerers).

    It’s art becomes more musical and full of cheer, focused more on the positives of life and good morals than hating on others (one of the few changes Valrion approves of). Yir also scourges out the insidious fear of fire inside the vessel, while also making sure that the Vessel cannot be frightened to a point beyond strategic retreat (so it won’t suicidally charge or stay in an unwinnable fight)

    -2 Arrogance: Yir is fighting the collective influence of many gods, it’s efforts for 100% perfection are doomed to failure. There are ways around all it’s blessings and all it’s chains, though they may be difficult to think of or inact.

    -2 Petulance: Valrion’s scream of defiance resonated with divinity, and disrupted the purification of Yir. This gives Valrion the ability to subvert the hold Yir has over it, particularly during the night. It retains its own will and with extreme effort can fight against the will of Yir.





    Yir Above the Gnaw Wastes - Retribution:

    The sun could feel the power of the lesser godlings make the land of the barbarian’s more fertile, giving gifts to the Beast (Su’ul) that had spawned Monsters (mutants) to ravage the blessed of Yir’s. Looking down on the project, all Yir could think of was the recent battle upon the Grey Plains that very nearly became the slaughter of the Age.

    Oh, how the dark and vile godlings seemed to openly and blatantly show their love for the perverse and ruthless through their blessings. Even the fool helped in the effort, though at this point Yir suspected that it would aid any project and just blindly did evil and good without thought or care for what is right.

    Boldly declaring over the land filled with the lesser godlings power, Yir spoke down below to the Beast (Su’ul) and the Monsters (mutants):

    “I am Yir, the one Above All. I have seen the vileness in your heart, and the monstrosity in your souls that would have you harm those that are good and pure. By my absolute rule above All, I deem you Guilty of deeds vile, and worthy of no reward that would let you create more monsters. By my perfect judgement, shall this land not let you propagate freely and harm the pure again.”

    Spoiler: Hinder
    Show

    +2 Sun: The light from the sun has chaotic effects in the Gnaw Wastes, going from blistering heat to freezing cold within days. Heavy floods and disasters are in store for these lands.

    +2 Majesty: Yir’s judgement is absolute* and by it’s judgement those that ever harm the blessed of Yir find that they gain no nutrition from the crops of the Gnaw Wastes. Those that become afflicted by the curse find it dissipates slowly with time, fully being removed after a year and a day (though it becomes manageable far earlier).
    *sometimes

    +1 Perfection: Yir’s curse has the side-effect of making those that are born in these farmable lands poor farmers.
    Last edited by AlexanderML; 2020-02-25 at 11:07 PM.

  9. - Top - End - #159
    Ogre in the Playground
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    Dec 2013

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Cult of The Mad God

    The great master of the path of emotion rose from his spot where he had been sitting on the beach. To be fair, he was merely the farthest along the path and not yet a true master. He entered the treeline and made his way deep towards a vast clearing. His magicite and amberis necklace shown with a bright yellow.

    Standing at the center of the clearing he waits patiently. His watching disciples do not know how long he stays like that but the children are sure that it must be hours. Five minutes have passed when suddenly the clearing erupts with motion. A terror unlike any the island has known bursts into the open area and begins to attack the Grand Master. Luckily, the Grand Master is, in truth as well as name, a master of the Warrior form. He holds his own against the best, speaking softly to it, stroking it as it passes. Soon more of the beasts arrive but not all are the same. There is another kind.

    For nearly a week the Grand Master stays in the clearing and beats back every challenger of these beasts. One form of these beasts challenges him much more while the other watches and observes. It is on the ninth day that finally the beasts stop and speak. "Who are you?"

    The old man turns to the assembled crowd of cultists, tongues and terrors alike. "I have seen the bonds these people share with one another. The warrior spirit burns within them. And these others who sit and watch and do nothing, they have the chance to gain us wisdom for the ages. It shall be my mark on these people to bring our groups together in service of the mad god."

    He then leads them all to the Lucent Crown. He explains the story of the crown to the crowd. "This is the symbol of our service to the mad god. It is how we know that we are yet not worthy of the trust he has bestowed upon us. Here we have much knowledge that we have gathered. The gods have taught us magics and how to form metal from the blood of trees. The travellers have brought us texts we have yet to decipher. Should you serve along side us, you would share in this knowledge as you have shared in our language. I ask the Mad god to send us a sign that this union is blessed by his will."

    At that very moment, Timorin arrived in the clearing. "Greetings my people. I see you have all gathered to celebrate my arrival. This time however I bear no gifts. I have a promise though. I have a great work to bring forth before you and to gift to your people. One that will bring you into a new age of knowledge. All I ask from you is a single death and I shall bring those loyal to me together as one people."

    The terror that first fought the Grand Master that first day took a step forward. "I shall pay the price to unite our people's."

    Timorin smiles. He didn't expect it to be that easy. He may need another death if he was being honest, but he would try one for now and see how much power it granted him. His project to unite these people with his others throughout the globe would be well on its way soon.


    From here the terrors found a place among the cult of the mad god. Those who chose to at least. Some decided to risk trying on the crown for the offer of power and destiny but many took up the more aggressive jobs. They guarded the coasts and the crown. They were the ones kept close at hand when someone would try on the crown.

    The tongues however still felt quite left out and unsure of their place but those that found a home on the Isles of Madness began trying to decipher the texts travellers had left behind and serving as the thinkers for the islands.


    Spoiler: Secondary Action
    Show
    Secondary Action 1AP Sacrifice 1 person for 6 BP

  10. - Top - End - #160
    Ogre in the Playground
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    Dec 2013

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Graw Wastes

    Timorin can feel the powers rumbling again, focusing on some meaningless area of nothingness. Here Timorin was with blood stains still on his shoe from sacrificing the terrors and everybody is focused on the middle of nowhere. Timorin would have to go see this place himself. In a flash Timorin is standing in the waste, uninterested in what he beholds. "Why do people seem to care so much about this place? There are some mortals and some crops growing but it doesn't seem likely they will have enough to get through the winter."

    With a sigh, Timorin shakes his head and looks back down to his blood soaked Sandles. Shrugging, he takes them off and begins wiping the blood on a small patch of ground that actually seemed to be growing some small plants. Then an idea struck him. He waved his hand and the blood soaked from his shoes and the grass there was immediately a tad healthier.

    "I don't think I'll tell anyone of this one. Let's see if they can discover for themselves." Then in a wave he is gone.

    Spoiler: Help
    Show

    Su'le:

    +2 drama to making the Graw waste hospitable. Timorin tries to bless the land so that blood (any, animal, mortal, new, old, small amounts, or buckets) would serve as a super fertilizer in the wastes. Of course normal fertilizers will still work but blood soaks into the pained land more readily and fuels crops more thoroughly

    Last edited by gac3; 2020-02-27 at 06:15 AM.

  11. - Top - End - #161
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    May 2017

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Chapter 2, Turn 2 rolls

    Petr(36 AP) - conceive Nerassus (18 AP/14 DC) +2 Water/+2 Healing/+1 Rainbow/+2 Moonpool
    Yir, +2 Majesty/+2 Sun/-2 Arrogance, giant radiant sorcerer
    Alatadriel, +2 Fire/+2 Foxes, passion for justice
    Avestra, +2 Nature, animal friend while kind to nature
    Grawissen, +7 the usual, big armour big brain
    Timorin, +2 Drama/+2 War, cape
    Chern, +4 Decay/-2 Downtrodden, weakening aura
    Su'ule, +1 Birth/+2 Sorcery/+2 Monsters, monstrous children
    Kahar-Djin, +2 Thresholds/+1 Travellers, no gate restriction
    Ymon-Thal, +2 Life, soul sense
    Dulnori, +1 Dreams, buffed shamanism
    (1d20+39)[48]

    Ymon-Thal (32 AP) - remake Thal-Verys (18 AP/14 DC) +2 Life/+2 Death/+1 Balance
    Alatadriel, +2 Fire, seven-layered lantern (septalantern?)
    Petr, +2 Water/+2 Healing/+1 Rainbow, gifts (cloak, book, crown)
    Yir, -1 Majesty/-1 Sun/-1 Perfection, aura of grief
    Grawissen, +2 Knowledge/+2 Mining, memory
    Chern, +1 Fermentation, chum flask
    Timorin, +2 War/+2 Drama, Flail for the Dramatic
    Dulnori, -1 Dreams, homesickness for Steppe
    (1d20+17)[30]

    Timorin (38 AP) - load up the Divine World (18 AP/14 DC) +2 War/+2 Drama/+1 Games/-2 Fear
    Alatadriel, +2 Fire/+2 Foxes/+1 Bees, mansion
    Avestra, +2 Nature/+2 Birds, lake island
    Petr, +2 Water, ocean garden
    Yir, +2 Sun/+2 Majesty/-2 Arrogance, sun and temple
    Grawissen, +2 Knowledge/+2 Architecture/+1 Writing, library
    Chern, +4 Decay, swamp ruins
    Ymon-Thal, +2 Life/+2 Death/-2 Unliving, sea of souls bridge
    Dulnori, +2 Fortune/+2 Ambition, Emerald Castle
    (1d20+31)[49]
    Secondary - sacrifice one mortal (1 AP)

    Alatadriel (32 AP) - deprogram the racists (12 AP/8 DC) +2 Fire/+2 Foxes
    Ymon-Thal, +2 Life, living other cultures
    (1d20+6)[26]

    Grawissen (34 AP) - Deja Vu! (18 AP/14 DC) +2 Mining/+2 Knowledge/+2 Architecture/+1 Writing
    Alatadriel, -2 Fire/-2 Foxes/-1 Bees/+2 Arrogance, malevolent persuasiveness
    Petr, +2 Water/+2 Healing/-2 Pain, sympathetic of host
    Kahar-Djin, -2 Thresholds, no killing
    Chern, +4 Decay/+1 Fermentation, drunk cloning
    Ymon-Thal, +2 Death, death sense
    Avestra, +2 Nature/+2 Birds, eagle wings
    Timorin, -2 Drama/-1 Games/+2 Fear, reckless
    Dulnori, +2 Ambition/+2 Fortune, lucky
    (1d20+18)[31]

    Kahar-Djin (30 AP) - explore the Stricken Lands (4 AP/2 DC) +2 Thresholds/+2 Paths/+1 Travellers/-2 Unexplored
    (1d20+3)[19]

    Avestra (42 AP) - dream up the Otherworld Amulet (16 AP/12 DC) +2 Nature/+2 Birds
    Petr, +2 Water/+1 Rainbow, flowery Eaglebeak Rock
    Timorin, +2 Drama, guiding bear dreams
    Grawissen, +2 Knowledge/+2 Mining/+1 Writing, mind reading and dreammite
    (1d20+14)[29]

    Chern (44 AP) - let the terrors kill him (10 AP/6 DC) +4 Decay
    Grawissen, +2 Knowledge/+1 Writing, intelligence and language
    (1d20+7)[14]
    Secondary - scry the Boa Jungle and surrounding regions (12 AP)

    Su'ule (38 AP) - terraform the Gnaw Wastes (16 AP/12 DC) +2 Sorcery/+1 Birth
    Grawissen, +2 Knowledge/+2 Mining/+1 Writing, expertise and zoptzenk
    Petr, +2 Water/+2 Healing, mild weather and hardy roots
    Dulnori, +2 Fortune/+2 Ambition, bountiful and tasty harvest
    Yir, -2 Sun/-2 Majesty/-1 Perfection, adverse weather and farming as well as giant immune response
    Timorin, +2 Drama, blood fertiliser
    (1d20+13)[31]

    Dulnori (44 AP) - try again with the Golden Dragons (12 AP/8 DC) +2 Fortune/+2 Ambition/+1 Dreams
    Su'ule, +2 Monsters/+2 Sorcery/+1 Birth/-2 Willfulness, sorcery dragons
    (1d20+8)[24]

    Yir (32 AP) - purify Valrion (1 AP/0 DC) +2 Sun/+2 Majesty/+2 Giant/-2 Arrogance/-2 Petulance
    (1d20+2)[20]

    Nestellbam (26 AP) - no action

    Opulon (50 AP) - no action

    Vreyalas (50 AP) - no action

  12. - Top - End - #162
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    May 2017

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Chapter 2, Turn 2 resolution

    Petr (18 AP) - success
    The divine child Nerassus grew within Petr, strong and healthy. Many gifts were bestowed upon him at the Moonpool baby shower, an event that would go down in history as the first major conclave of the gods. On top of the rainbow carriage and adeptness on the water given by his parent Petr, he received a rainbow bib/cape from the god Timorin, and a suit of armour from the god Grawissen. The sun god Yir granted its characteristic giantism and skill with radiant sorcery, a fiery passion for justice was ignited by the tipsy fox Alatadriel, Ymon-Thal enlightened him with the ability to perceive souls, a pact was entered with Dulnori to teach shamanism, Chern cursed his enemies with weakness, and even Su'ule came by to grant Nerasssus the ability to painlessly and prolifically produce heirs (monstrous ones if desired).
    Avestra offered a strange gift - the kinship of nature as long as he never harmed a wild creature. Last, but not least, Kahar-Djin lifted the travel ban on sorcerers through the Sanctuary gates for the young demigod, allowing him to explore the world. It was quite the party!
    Nerassus, +2 Justice/-2 Flesh

    Ymon-Thal (14 AP) - success
    The prophet Verys has been through much in her life - and beyond. And it had all led to this. The Aeon who had come so far was offered the eternal task of shepherding souls into the Passing, and she accepted, becoming Thal-Verys. Some were dismayed - Yir, who she had helped to spurn with her prophesy of Theshana, cursed her with an aura of grief and joylessness, while Dulnori, her old patron god, jealously tormented her with the memory of her old home. Other gods were more supportive, giving gifts to help her bear her burden. A magical seven-layered lantern from Alatadriel, a regal outfit and scholarly tome from Petr, a flask of comforting spirits from Chern, and the Flail for the Dramatic from Timorin.
    Thal-Verys, +2 Souls/-2 Grief

    Timorin (19 AP/3 BP) - success
    Reality shuddered once again, as a new realm forced itself through the bedrock of being - the Divine World, the realm of the gods, diviworld for short. It was split into sixteen, a piece for each god current and past, and they were thus:
    The Solomn Lands - bland and safe.
    The Barren Dunes - scattered with broken chains and shattered cages.
    The Madlands - blood red hunting grounds and colosseums.
    The Den of Foxes - a luxurious mansion.
    The Island of Rarity - an island for exotic species set in the middle of a lake.
    The Adrift Gardens - islands scattered through a vibrant ocean.
    The Sacred Temple - where the sun spends the longest.
    The Gods' Library - where all the knowledge of the pantheon resides.
    The Bog of Ruin - a dilapidated castle sinking into the swamp.
    The Bridge of Souls - a looping bridge over a sea of souls, flanked by twin towers.
    The Emerald Castle - a casino of games and attractions.
    Five sixteenths of the diviworld remained untouched, for now at least (I'm going to say that an influence city action is required to fill them in individually, or state to do them all at once).

    Alatadriel (20 AP) - success
    The Indriel administration's efforts to unify their newly occupied lands proved to be most successful. Marriages between diverse groups were carried out en masse, hundreds of new recruits were brought in from across the continent, and the common folk's tolerance was much improved through the personal tuition of Alatadriel.

    Grawissen (16 AP) - success
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv13gl0a-FA
    DEJA VU! Have we not met before?
    A winged, jacketed, blue and purple woolly rhino gaudily materialised behind Grawissen, the spirit of heroism. He would bond to a mortal to grand them unique powers, as long as they needed them to perform heroic acts. These powers, their extents and limitations, are as diverse as they are bizarre due to the influence of multiple conflicting gods. First and foremost, Deja Vu is able to transmute objects into any kind of earthly material, and can communicate telepathically or feel the sensations of his host mortal over long distances. He brings good luck and combat expertise to his host, and his powers of persuasion are difficult for mortals to resist. In addition, whenever his host mortal is inebriated in some way Deja Vu is able to slit into multiple copies of himself.
    His main limitation is his restriction from using his powers to kill, helped by his ability to sense when a mortal is close to death. This is contrasted with his generally reckless and sometimes overly-combative personality.
    Deja Vu, +2 Heroism/-2 Murder

    Kahar-Djin (26 AP) - success
    At the command of their god, Bron and his Missionaries set off up the Stricken Lands. Though the journey was long and tough, they traversed the entire continent and crested its tallest northern mountain, building on their path a great gate. There they would learn - and teach - the Way of the Cardinal Fist in seclusion from the wider world.

    Avestra (26 AP) - success
    In a flowery cave at the summit of Eaglebeak Rock, the goddess Avestra forged her Otherworld Amulet (+2 Dreams). The amberis trinket had the power to grant mortals entry into the dreams of another being, at the cost of their own sanity if they used it too often. Sometimes, the user might dream of themselves as a bear, and those dreams could sometimes foretell their destiny and guide them to their life's purpose. Skilled users of the amulet might even be able to read others' minds while awake, and harvest the exotic dreammite mineral that generated around it.

    Chern (22 AP) - success
    let the terrors kill him (10 AP/6 DC) +4 Decay
    Chern died and died and died, thousands of deaths were suffered at the clawed raptor claws of the terrors. But it was worth it. He guided the wretched beings to his oasis, where they were left spent and exhausted of their innate bloodlust, finally ready to start talking amongst themselves and establishing a sense of community. Where this would go, who could say, but it would be better than frenzying themselves to an early death.

    Su'ule (22 AP) - success
    For the first time in millennia, the Graw Wastes experienced a measure of what some might call pleasant weather. Where once there had only been harshness, Su'ule sowed the ground with fertility. The wastelanders would finally be able to work themselves out of a squalid, magic-sustained existence. The mutants had some difficulty at first, not only due to their inexperience, but also due to the meddling of the southern god Yir. However, there were many other contributing forces to help oppose this initial uncertainty, and soon they were growing delicious roots and crop harvests, and preserving their produce in the salty zoptzenk mineral. The main struggle from their was that the southern giants seemed to provoke a sickness in northern mutants, causing their food to lose its richness and health. It became less popular to raid the south, since home was now just as comfortable and the effort proved less worthwhile. Then again, giant blood was good fertiliser...

    Dulnori (32 AP) - success
    At last! The Golden Dragon that Dulnori had assembled in the steppe now ground itself to life, its wise golden eyes sweeping the plains. It took to the skies, joined by its kin. They would bring fortune and wisdom to the mortals, as well as their own unique form of innate sorcery.

    Yir (31 AP) - success
    The newly created Valrion had dissatisfied his patron god, and so Yir had taken punitive, purifying measures. The curses of the other gods, including pesky nuisances such as free will, were stricken from the young mind, and additional powers added in such as the ability to teleport in sunlight.

    Nestellbam (26 AP) - no action

    Opulon (50 AP) - no action

    Vreyalas (50 AP) - no action

    Alright, time for turn 3. Finally! Go nuts everyone, let's try and be quick about it to make up for this last turn.

  13. - Top - End - #163
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    OrcBarbarianGuy

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    May 2017

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    King Ostrom waited at the entrance of the city, as a bunch of his guards loaded suitcases. “We need to pick up the pace you know how whiny Imperator Thrang when you even a second later one of his grand meetings.”

    “Your Majesty!” someone yelled out as he ran towards the King with a box. “Some new goodies were given to us by some local traders, do you want to examine them?”

    “As much as I want to I gotta go watch a baby wine for three days.” The king said as he climbed up on his chariot. “Have some of the other scholars look at it for now and I’ll check on it when I get back.” he then turned to the rest of his men. “Alright let’s head out.” And with that, the chariot Road off.

    Young soldiers then looked back at the box. “Well, I suppose it will be a nice surprise after dealing with Thrang for about a weekend at the very least.”


    ______
    Sunset Forest

    A small village on the outskirts of the Empire, over generations the Crow people have been losing more and more of the home from the Empire from the north. They have known nothing but hostility from the outside world… That is until unlikely travelers arrived.

    “And that is how you write.” A tongue sat at one end of the campfire is a bunch of crow children who were captivated by the weird dinosaurs lessons. “Writing is a difficult concept especially when you don’t have hands but once you get the hang of it, it works like magic.”

    As this was going on to adult Crow people watched from a distance.

    “Are you sure we can trust these beings?”

    “I’m skeptical, but they’ve been here for a few weeks and have it cause any trouble…”

    “But they come from the north…”

    “Killing them out of fear will solve nothing, at best we piss off the Empire by killing their spies, at worst we kill a bunch of innocent friendly creatures.”

    The sound of horse-drawn chariots rattled in the distance. “Oh no.” the adults mumbled. “Kids! get inside.” the kids got up from the campfire and ran inside a nearby cave.

    A group of about 50 armed men marched into sites. A group of local bandits who take advantage of the Crow people’s low-tech to steal their supplies. In the center of the group was a chariot being pulled by two horses and a muscular man in Golden armor sitting in it. “Oh, what do we have here?” the imposing man said as he got off his chariot, “a bunch of pigeons trying their hardest to grab the scraps from the ground.” About 20 adults in the village readied their spears. “HA, that’s cute, you think twigs can stand up to us?”

    “Hold on there for a second...:” a voice interrupted. It was the Tongue who moved in front of the Crow people. “... There doesn’t need to be violence here. The crows mean no harm to anyone. All they want to do is live their lives in peace. There is no need to go into pointless blood…”

    Just then the general stabbed the Tongue in the throat with his rapier. “Oh, I’m sorry I don’t speak lizard.” He pulled his sword out of the poor dinosaur throat as the tongue fell to the ground.” the general smiled as he turned towards the Crow people. “Recently we’ve been making really good progress when it comes to extorting you people but we could still make a little bit more” The general smiled as he pointed his rapier at the tribesman. “So here’s the deal surrender peacefully or die violently.” The tribe continued to hold steady. ”Oh you pick the fun answer.” he then turned to his men. “All right boys let’s get the killing.”

    The sound of arrows filled the air as it punted the bodies of the Crow people. In an instant, the battle was over. “Jolly work.” the general smiled as he looked at the dead bodies littering the area. The general then turned his head towards the cave. “... those kids will probably make good slaves. Men bring the little ones out of the ca…”

    “AHHHHHHHHHH!” screaming filled the air as a bunch of the general’s soldiers were sent flying.

    “You go no further…” A voice rang out.

    The soldiers and the general turned towards the voice. As the smoke cleared they saw the tongue standing there over the unconscious bodies of the soldiers. “What but I stabbed you in the throat…” the general said in shock. “No matter, I just had to be more vicious this time...” he then turned to his men. “Why are you people just sitting around? Kill the lizard!”

    (Wham)

    Suddenly a giant fist came out of the dinosaur and punched one of the soldiers. “You dare bring your villainy to these lands!” a voice shouted out. The general looked at the dinosaur and realized it wasn’t her who was talking. Slowly a spirit of merged from the tongue, Déjà vu. “I’m giving you two options, leave this land or leave this land with a bunch of broken…” Déjà vu stopped himself, he caught an arrow in midair there was heading directly towards his face. “... So you have chosen to have broken bones then.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFjE5A4UAJI

    Déjà vu through the arrow back, hitting the soldier in the foot. “BRING IT!” the fast traction of his fists almost like lightning as each punch sent another soldier flying. “I did say you were going to have broken bones at the end of this.”

    The remaining soldiers’ circle around the dinosaur and déjà vu. “You can’t stop all of us!”

    Déjà vu smiled. “Are you sure about that?” he then looked down at his host. “See how far we can jump.

    “Okay…” The tongue said nervously, still really confused about what was going on. She jumped into the air. And to her amazement rocketed off into the sky. “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!”

    “Heroism!” Déjà Vu yelled out, the dinosaur then noticed that her body was turning into steel.

    “AHHHHHHHHH!”

    “Don’t worry, it’s only temporary…” Déjà vu then looked down to the ground. “CANNONBALL!!” and with that, the dinosaur's steely body slammed into the ground, sending the remaining soldiers flying. “That’s what we’re talking about! Great work!”

    The female tongue simply stood there shaking as a body turned back the flesh. “What the hell just happened?”

    “HAHAHAHAHAHA '' laughter filled the air. The tongue and Déjà Vu turned their heads towards the cave and saw the general holding up one of the children. “I don’t know what type of demon you are but this ends here.” The general yelled as he held his rapier next to the child’s throat. “You’re gonna let me cut your head off or this child is no longer going to have a head, HAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!”

    The tongue looked at the general in anger “That kid has nothing to do with this fight!”

    “His kind has everything to do with this fight. The kid is part of a backward people that continue to waddle in the mud, to be quite frank killing the crows seems almost like a mercy killing.” He then raised his rapier close to the kid’s throat. “Last chance standdown or the kid dies!”

    The Tongue stared in horror “What are we…” she then realized déjà vu was gone. “Um, weird spirit guy?”

    “Hey pay attention to me...“ The general yelled in anger “Last chance, stand down or the kid di…”

    (WHAM)

    A massive first emerged from the kid punching the general in the face, making him let go of the kid. “AH! YOU MOTHER****ER!” as he fell down and grabbed his face.

    The general then noticed the kids standing over him, Déjà Vu hovering above the kid. “The lowest scum to use a hostage.”

    The general looked at the situation in horror. “Look we can talk, spirit man… I was only doing what I needed to do to survive… I didn’t want to kill these people.”

    Déjà vu looked at him with disdain “Not even willing to take responsibility for your actions, you truly are pathetic.”

    “PL...please don’t kill me… I’m a wealthy man... I can make it worth your wild.” the general bags, being nearly brought to tears.”

    “Don’t worry I won’t kill you…” He then raised up his fists.”...but I can make you crave the mercy of Death.” he then launched his fists directly at the general. “ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA.” straight 20 seconds of nothing but punching before being launched the general directly towards his chariot, slamming into it. Déjà vu then turned to the few soldiers that could still walk. “Leave this place, and never come to these lands again, by the will of my father, Grawissen, you will never hurt these people again!” the men then went running off back into the forest. “Déjà vu then looked down at the kid that he possessed. The kid had already walked over to the site of the adult’s dead bodies. The kids started to cry near the corpse of his father. “I am sorry… I am sorry I was too late…” and with that, he disappeared.

    The tongue came over to the child as the rest of the kids walked out of the cave. The tongue looked at the grieving child and then the rest of the kids. “There is no time for mourning, we must get to a safe Village.”

    On that day a kingship between the tongues and the crows was born. Most other people would have to be careful going through Sunset Forest but the tongues would always be welcome and the bandits knew never to raid the Crow people again because if they did Déjà Vu which showed them the meaning of pain.
    _____________
    Grawissen, Grawpolis beach- 16/50 AP

    Graw walked along the beach outside of the city, staring into the ocean. "“It’s been so long hasn’t… A little simpler back than... I wonder how that squid’s life was...AH.” Graw yelled out as he dropped to his knees. A sharp pain coming from his chest. "“What in the world…” He thought to himself as the pain continued and then suddenly stopped. "“I guess that’s enough walking for me today…” as Graw walked back into the city a crack appeared on the wall.
    Spoiler: action
    Show


    12 AP/8 DC: Immortalise Déjà vu

    +2 knowledge: his name will be known throughout the ages, a tale taught to show the consequences of wickedness and the power of heroism.

    +2 architecture: When he lays dormant he will become an unbreakable statue but as soon as he is needed he will awaken.

    +2 Heroism(Déjà Vu): his sense of justice will burn bright throughout history showing evil isn't safe no matter what time in history.

    +1 writing: The messages he leaves behind are as eternal as he is. Immune to ravages of time.

    ______________

    The Ebon Basin

    King Ostrom and men stood a top of 50 corpses, some of them being their own men others being what looked like to be simple bandits.

    One of the soldiers looked at the King “How the hell did a bandit group this big get into the Empire.”

    The king looked at one of the corpses of his men. “We need to head back…” The king said as he got back on the carriage.

    “But what about the meeting?”

    “I have a suspicion that there isn’t a meeting.” The king said as they rode off.
    Last edited by Godzillarich; 2020-03-18 at 06:23 PM.

  14. - Top - End - #164
    Dwarf in the Playground
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Alatadriel, 20 AP The Capital City of Al-Sinai, The Palace of Imperator Thrang.
    The palace was full of hustle and bustle as servants carried extravagant trays of delicatessen meats and imported fruits, closely followed by servers carrying buckets full of expensive wines, and kegs of ale. Tables carefully covered in carefully woven linens from the Ahorca, and silverware made by the finest smiths of The Twin Furnances. Roast pig, stuffed pheasant, honeyed pastries, and scrumptious chocolates. As minstrels played soft, soothing music to the babbling song of the fondue fountain. An absolutely decadent and over the top feast awaited in the halls of The Palace. Outside, awaited every important noble, mercenary, path follower, priest, mage, smith, and even an assortment of peasants that could present a gift of suitable respect to the goddess. All of the gods were invited to celebrate the birth of a new demigod into the world... Except for Yir. No one could figure out how to send a letter to the sun.

    Alatadriel sat atop a balcony overlooking the gate, Magus sitting slightly to the right of Alatadriel holding their baby girl in her hands as Alatadriel looked down to a pocket watch in her hands. "You know, I don't see any reason, that we have to start it at a specific time?" Magus said. "Shouldn't our days be based around the sun instead of some arbitrary time that we placed on the day?"

    "It's a new system that I'm trying. I think a 24 hour day is really going to catch on in the next age?

    "The next age? Geez, I didn't know things took so long to catch on." Magus looked over to the clock in her hand. "So, how do you make the little spokes go around anyway?"

    "So..." Alatadriel thought for a moment "This is probably why it's going to take so long to catch on. But, more or less.... Eh, it'd just be easier if I showed you." She opened up the watch case. "So, it's like a collection of wheels, but they interlock with each other. And if you set them up just right, you can turn one wheel, and that wheel will time up just right with the 24 hour day."

    Magus looked impressed as the small gears continued to slowly turn together all at once. "Oh, is that what you're doing when you go back to that forge of yours? I didn't know you could make something so uniform, and small. How do you hammer out the really small ones?"

    "Oh, I've just been using a really small hammer and a really small file... Oh, I kind of forgot that humans can't really do that type of precision with their hands. It will probably take a lot longer than I thought... Maybe I should make some sort of machine to do that for humans?" Alatadriel quickly brought out a papyrus scroll and pen. Drawing hastily on the sheet. "Some sort of bladed instrument perhaps... No, you'd need more than that. Maybe we could take a bladed extrusion, and have some sort of pressing mechanism. A bit like pressing clay into shape... Oh, but to create the gears we'd need uniformity in the metal. Like a parchment of metal, but how would I be able to do that?"

    "dear, this is all very important. But I think you missed your cue." Alatadriel paused for a second, looking towards her wife. "You're sure you want to be here? I know you don't really like parties, but it is customary we greet our gue-"
    Magus waved away her concerns. "It's... Definitely daunting. But the attention can be nice, I'll need to get used to this kind of stuff anyway with my celebrity, and everyone has to meet darling little Rosey and plus," Magus weaved her hand into Alatadriel's "I'll have you by my side. So everything will be good."
    Alatadriel planted a kiss on Magus's forehead. "There's no place I'd rather be either.

    Alatadriel took a look at her watch to realize that opening it stopped the hands from moving. "Drats, you're... Probably right." Alatadriel motioned downward as the guards dropped the bridge to the palace. Large swathes of men and women moving, encouraged by guardsmen as the gods and their entourages made their way into the castle. Nobles and priests familiar with tradition and decorum lead the crowd into kneeling down to one knee as these impressive beings walked into the castle. Many people praying, nobles particularly were making shows of their piety. Some bowing their heads into the mud and dirt below to show their fragility before the gods.
    After the citizenry patiently waited for the present gods to enter into the castles, they stood back up, but guardsmen still held back the mass as the nobles were escorted into the castle, presenting themselves before any of the more base citizenry was allowed to enter.
    Spoiler: Action
    Show
    18 AP/14 DC: create a Demigod-Rosalin Ravenhold +2 Willfulness.
    Little Rosalin 'Rosey' Ravenhold just turned ten days old today, and as is customary in The Empire. A celebration is called introducing for introducing the mother back into their normal lives as months of seclusion (Other than family members) are typical tradition before the birth. Believed to be good for the health of the mother and baby.
    Due to her divine blood though Rosey is a bit different than other children
    +2 Foxes. Rosey inherited her mother's fox-like features. Bearing three white tails, and a pair of fox ears along with a keen sense of smell and hearing. Though not the same sharp facial features of Nerasuss.
    +2 Fire. Fire runs deep within the blood Alatadriel and so does it too with the child leading her to have a more aggressive, and fiery personality. Rosey will one day grow up to be defiant, stubborn, maltempered, ambitious, and blunt.
    I prefer a keg of beer!

  15. - Top - End - #165
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    OrcBarbarianGuy

    Join Date
    May 2017

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    The front door of the Temple swung wide open, the mighty bone God Grawissen walked in. The entire party stopped almost on a dime as everyone turned to look at him, some of them backing away slowly others pulling out weapons. Graw surveyed the place as he walked in " I mean no harm... I am just here to celebrate... the new life..."

    The spirit of déjà vu then appeared above one of the handmaidens next to the baby Rosalin. "What a cute baby." Déjà vu smiled. "I feel like we will be good frien..." The handmade and then suddenly backed away from the baby pulling déjà vu along with them.

    "Get out of me you demon of the bone God" the maiden yelled

    Graw looked in frustration "Déjà vu... it would be wise to mine people's personal space... Leave that woman at once."

    "Sorry G, got a little bit excited to see the baby." Déjà vu mumbled before leaving the lady's body.

    Graw then looked at Alatadriel "In case you're wondering... I'm still immensely angry at you... but I know this child has nothing to do with your pettiness... he walked next to the child, "If you want some good news with my arrival... Déjà Vu has taken care of large bandit force near your empire's borders... Hopefully, they will not be a problem for the Empire or the Crows ever again..." Graw looked over the baby, "now allow me to give you my gift."

    Spoiler: Help
    Show

    + 2 Knowledge: this Rosalin will grow up to be a mighty philosopher. people come far and wide to hear their wisdom.
    + 2 Architecture(pickax): Graw will build the kid a beautiful palace mightier than any other palace on earth.
    + 2 Mining: the mountains around her birth will gain a new material, burn rock, an environmentally friendly and efficient fuel source for fires.
    + 2 Heroism(Déjà Vu): The kid will have a sense of duty and obligation to protect all those in the Empire, whether they be Human, Neanderthal, Orcs, Pygmies, Giant, Tongues, Terrors or any other race she will protect their freedoms and rights and will be seen as equal for her protection
    Last edited by Godzillarich; 2020-02-29 at 01:21 PM.

  16. - Top - End - #166
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Batcathat's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2019

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Ymon-Thal, 14/50 AP, the Passing

    Such an odd feeling.

    Sitting next to the River of Purity, Thal-Verys watched her own reflection in the running water. At least she looked the same, if you ignored shimmering cloak draped over most of her body and the tiny sun hovering just over her shoulder, its light barely visible beneath layers of cloth and leather. Not to mention that the eyes meeting her gaze were like full moons, pale and glowing.

    No, maybe she didn't look very much the same, Thal-Verys reconsidered. But she could get used to that, would get used to that. She was less sure she would get used to how she felt inside.

    She still remembered everything about her life, probably with greater clarity than ever, but it didn't really feel like her life anymore. Her childhood, her loved ones, even her journey to the Stonethroe Mountains and great Nestellbam speaking through her... felt like it had happened to someone else. As the connection to that life — her life — faded it had been replaced by a connection to souls flowing around her, as easy to reach out and touch as the water flowing before her.

    Whoever Verys of the Aeons had been, she had died of a spear in the Stonethroe Mountains. Time would tell who Thal-Verys of the Passing would turn out to be. The chain binding Alatadriel's gift to her rattled as Thal-Verys stood up, gripping her staff and book.

    "Are you ready?"

    As she turned around she saw Ymon leaning against a tree she was certain hadn't been there before.

    "Yes." Her voice was different too, she noticed. "I am ready."

    "Good", Thal said, appearing next to Ymon. "Time to go."

  17. - Top - End - #167
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Bergen

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    The Island of Sanctuary

    The birth of justice

    It began as a night like any other. The terrors of Sanctuary with enough wit to not succumb to their bloodlust were taking their third daily bath in the Moonpool under the watchful eyes of Tua and Na'omi. The waters, it were found, had a soothing effect on their bloodlust. These ritual baths were done, not just for the purifying effect of water, but also as a way to pay respect to the great One themselves.

    Unfortunately, the job of watching scaly lizards bathe is also a very boring one. The two transmuters are barely paying attention to the terrors, and are instead passing their time by playing a game of white and black stones upon the ground of their small booth. They are so intent on their game that they fail to notice the approach of wild beasts until an otter barges through their playing field and down to the edge of the moon pool where it sits patiently. The two youths sit up in surprise, looking first at the otter, and then at the many, many other beasts approaching the water's edge. "Tua?"

    "Yeah, I see it too. Look at all the animals." Elephants, hyenas, wild cats, boars, even rodents all drift to the moon pool to linger at the edge of water. They ignore the two pygmies completely, and even the terrors receive no more than a cursory glance for as long as they remain observing. "What's goin' on?"

    "Shh... can you feel it?" A thrill travelling up and down their spines. Faint but present. Lifting their arms up into the pale moonlight they can see that the hair on their arms stands on end, as if the air was bitter cold. "What's going on."

    "I don't know, but it's something big. You keep observing. I'm gonna go warn the Masters."

    "Please hurry." Na'omi watches her brother run off, barely avoiding stepping on a family of hedgehogs that come lumbering towards the water's edge. All around the lake, as far as the eye can see, animals line the edge of the water. Birds roost in the trees, fish skim the water surface. And Na'omi herself feels a strange pull. Despite her fears and the sensation that the whole scene is unnatural, she can't help but walk closer to the edge of the water. She takes care to not step upon any of the many beasts, and when she finally reaches the water's edge she reaches a hand out to touch the water.

    The water surges. The animals cry out in delight. Lake and moonlight swirl before Na'omi's eyes. Twist and coalesce, forming the pristinely clear form of The Great One, Petr of the Waters. They stand tall, at least thrice as tall as Na'omi herself. The body is water of the moonpool, their whole form is filled with pinpricks of brilliant light, and in their arms they are carrying a bundle of something wrapped in rainbow cloth.

    "Hrm?" Petr looks about themselves, then down at Na'omi. The pygmy shivers as she feels the divine gaze fall upon her, and she throws herself down on her knees, planting her face where water brushes against wet sand.

    "My Lord and Lady!" She cries out, her whole body shivering in fear and anticipation both. "Blessed am I to bathe in your presence. Please forgive me my insolence!"

    "Insol... sweet child." The gentle voice gives a soft, pearl-like laugh as the god kneels down, gently tipping Na'omi's head up so that their eyes can meet. "Why would I consider you insolent? You actually came here to welcome my child. Honestly, if anyone is insolent, it's the rest of the island for not taking the time to come welcome my son."

    Na'omi swallows softly, standing up as the firm grip of the god guides her upwards. "S... sorry. Your... child?"

    "Oh yes." Petr lightly twists on the bundle of rainbow cloth. A light shift to reveal the sleeping form of Nerassus. Wrapped in the bundle, the only thing Na'omi can make out is the face. It's... decidedly not pygmy. It's covered in a layer of thin blue fur. His face has the sharp, angular features of a fox, only slightly softened into a more square muzzle. Two triangular ears poke out at the top of his head, and around the corner of his eyes are small red markings that look vaguely like doorways shaped from fire. On his forehead, part of the blue yields to form a brilliant white-yellow sun that almost seems like it glows in the dark night. "Isn't he precious?"

    "This is your child?!" Na'omi leans forward. She lifts one hand up, stops herself to look up at Petr, and when the god nods slightly, she reaches forward to brush a hand across his form. "He's very big... and he doesn't look like you very much... ah, I mean no disrespect!"

    Petr laughs heartily. "Please dear, don't be afraid of me. The ocean may be fickle, but I am never cruel. And yes. His great size is a gift from Yir, and the looks... well, that is Alatadriel's result." Petr looks up at the assembly of animals. "The presence of these ones, that is the blessing of Avestra. The blanket he's wrapped in, that's a gift from Timorin. He is truly a blessed child."

    "And you brought him here to introduce to us?"

    "Well... no. I brought him here to live with you." Na'omi looks up, wide-eyed at the god. "He needs to learn from mortals, for he is something entirely new. Divine power given mortal flesh. And so that he may grow up and become a proper arbiter of justice, he needs to experience just what it is like to live a mortal life. He shall live, bleed, hunger and thirst among mortals. He shall feel your burdens and suffer them so that he may learn."

    Na'omi withdraws her hand with a thoughtful frown. "You... you are confident enough in us to care for, nurture and raise your child?"

    "Well of course. Do you think I shouldn't be?"

    "Well... no." Na'omi watches as Petr lowers the baby down onto the sand, where a business of ferrets all crawl over to snuggle and support the sleeping form. "It's just a surprise is all. To hear that you hold such trust in us. I... oh I feel like I'm only saying the wrong thing."

    "Fear not child." Petr gives Nerassus's face one last gentle brush, before the watery form begins to dissolve. "You are in capable hands. Know that I'll be watching over you."

    The form fades back into the moonpool itself, the light and presence is gone. Even the thrill that brushed over Na'omi's back. Only Nerassus remains, with the many animals circling him, stepping close to rub against his form before stepping away again. The constant grinding upon the little baby's form eventually wake him up, and he begins to cry. Just as Tao appears with several of the Masters in tow.

    ---

    The Castle of Masters
    Spoiler: Raising a child
    Show

    "I've finally got him to sleep." P'ua walks out of the bedroom with a disheveled look on his face. His hair is all muzzed up and his eyes having narrow lines from a lack of sleep. He walks over to a nearby pile of grass pillow and flumps heavily into the somewhat soft bedding. "I didn't even know we had that many different kinds of squirrels on the island."

    "I hear ya." Kalepo is holding a piece of ice against his face, though he pulls it away to show off the deep purple mark around one of his eyes to P\ua. "How's my face look."

    "Awful. What happened?"

    "Well, you know how we've been trying to get him to eat solids? I put some fish on his plate and tried to get him to eat it. He absolutely refused and threw the whole thing right in my face."

    "I guess we should be glad we're not giving him coconuts."

    ---

    "Can you say "mama"?" Misty holds an idol of Petra before Nerassus. A carving in clay, painted in blues and yellows, wearing the benevolent smile of the Ocean Goddess.

    "Ama?" Nerassus grins brightly. Already taller than all around him, but still with a mind born from mortality. "Ama." He reaches for the carving.

    "No no." Misty pulls the carving away and tsks softly. "Say Mama. Properly this time."

    The large demigod frowns, pounding his fists hard into the ground, making Misty's legs quiver a bit as the ground shakes. "Ama! Giff Ama!"

    "Not until you say it right. Mama." Misty stands her ground, narrowly gazing up at the demigod. "Ma. Ma."

    "Mama!" Nerassus growls in anger. "Giff Mama! Giff Mama!"

    Misty grins and throws a piece of dried mango into Nerassus's maw. The large demigod coughs and gags as the food falls into his throat, almost choking him before he finally gets it down the right whole. "See, was that so hard? Now can you say "Aunt Misty?""

    "AMA!"

    "We have a long way to go still..."

    ---

    "Okay students. I hope you've been practicing your water conjuration, as we're going to need a lot of it." P'ua sizes up the four young aquamancers sitting on the floor before him, each a sorcerer who has shown surprising aptitude within the school of water, and have thus been given a chance to study beneath the most prestigious Master of Aquamancy in probably the whole world. "Now, usually this task would fall to Misty, Dew'eyera's daughter. Unfortunately, she was hit even worse by the accident, and has had to take a day off to recover."

    "Accident?" One of the students, a red-haired neanderthal of about seventeen years quirks his head curiously. "Are we to practice healing spells Master?"

    "Alas, no." P'ua picks up four small yellow blocks. A mix of congealed coconut oil, potash and some flower petals for the scent. "You will need this."

    "Soap?"

    "Indeed." P'ua opens a door to a small chamber, where Nerassus is sitting still on the floor, his entire frame completely caked in mud, dirt, slime and a massive mix of decaying plant matter. "Get to work kids. I want him smelling like a flower before I consider us done!"


    Spoiler: Lessons in dance and faith
    Show
    "No. Nerassus. You can't wear this." Nani gently put firmly tugs the rainbow cloak from Nerassus, throwing it aside while sternly wagging her finger. "This is a celebration of your parent. You have to dress properly."

    "No! Is mine!" Nerassus grabs for the cloak, and it takes Nani all the effort she can muster to keep the oversized child from toddling over to pick the cloak up. "NOOOOO! CAP! MY CAP!"

    "Nerassus." The demigod shrieks, it's a loud, petulant cry. "Nerassus!" Nani grabs the boy firmly. Her fingers dig into his flesh with enough force that he visibly winces. "What would your parent say if they saw you now? How sad wouldn't they be to hear that their kid can't even bother to honour her.

    "Buh." Nerassus sniffles. "Cap."

    "Nerassus. You can play as much as you want afterwards. Come."

    Unfortunately, Nerassus refuses to move. He is large, heavy, and Nani has to get several guards to help force him down to the garden. When they arrive, the ceremony has already begun. One of the island priests stand before a congregation of people. Men, women, young and old alike. The priest is wearing a robe. A dirty thing made from dried and stitched together seaweed. Everyone else is wearing even less. Mostly just simple skirts to cover up their waists.

    The priest is talking about benevolence. Of the duty the strong has to care for the weak. About how the group as a whole is stronger than any individual. About the bountiful blessings of the ocean. And Nerassus doesn't care a lick for any of his words. He has grabbed himself a twig and some stones and is happily playing way in the back of the congregation, pretending that he is building a house, or maybe a person, or maybe an island. The construction changing with every passing whim. He's so enthralled in his work that when the congregation suddenly stands up all around him he ends up crying from surprise. He starts to wail loudly, and Nani steps up to him to gently hug him close, hiding his face in her chest while gently brushing over his ears. "Shh... shh. Don't cry. It's okay. You're safe. There's nothing scary."

    Nera sniffles softly, hugging tight on Nani. Some of the crowd glance back at the demigod, but no one comments on the scene. Through Nani's long dark hair, Nera watches as the crowd splits into couples. Man and woman as best they can, though two pairs are women only, and the priest has no partner at all. He walks through the crowd, guiding people through the steps of the dance. The soft sway of arms, like the waves of the ocean. Hands cupped together and spreading out like flower buds in bloom. Man and woman embracing to represent the divine one-ness that is Petr.

    Such symbolism completely flies over Nera's head. To him it's just a whole bunch of strangers bouncing about in his garden, being all scary and loud and he doesn't like it. Not in the slightest!



    Spoiler: The first lessons of Aquamancy
    Show
    It's a bright and warm summer day. The sky is a brilliant blue that rivals the ocean. The sand has baked in the sun to the point of being oh so pleasantly warm to step on, and young Nera's fur is stained from a long morning playing in the sand with the other children. They have built sandcastles for crabs. A village full of sand people. And even a church with several marvelous flags of sticks and seaweed. It has been hours, but it only felt like minutes. Nowhere near enough time. And yet here P'ua is. The old aquamancer smiling gently as he plants a hand on Nerassus's shoulder. "Child, it's time for you to say goodbye to your friends."

    "But P'uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuua." Nera whines loudly, poking one of the crabs waltzing about it's castle. "We hafta make mr Shelly's castle. An... an Nutters needs his house, an, an what about ms Dove?"

    P'ua reaches down to gently wave the squirrel, bird, and other animals away, making Nera whine as they scamper away. "Nera. They will be here to play later, but right now it is important that you begin to learn. You're the son of a god. And I won't." He pauses, taking a deep breath as he shakes his head. "Nevermind. Nerassus. Look at this." P'ua reaches out towards the ocean. He makes a gentle, grasping motion and in so doing he pulls a stream of water out of the ocean. He spins his fingers, making the water dance before him before forming it into a small copy of himself.

    "Is P'ua!" Nerassus claps his hands together, giggling happily. He reaches in to poke the small water copy, blinking as the water maintains it's shape as it flows around his thick finger.

    "It's the "Control Water" spell. It's perhaps the simplest expression of aquamancy. And though you're not aware of it, you're actually making a good example of what you must understand to control water."

    "Hee! WaterP'ua face looks silly!"

    P'ua exhales deeply, shaking his head. "Yes yes. Very silly. But see how the water flows around your finger to maintain it's shape. You're disturbing the water, but always as you move your finger, the water adjusts itself to maintain it's shape. And that is the core of aquamancy. Flexibility."

    "F... F... fle... shibiltu?"

    "Close." P'ua gently brushes a hand across the back of Nerassus's head. "Water is one of the most flexible things in the whole world. It can be as hard as steel, or it can be as light and ephemeral as air. It flows to fill any crack it can reach. It's easy to manipulate. A lot of aquamancers thus begin their path by imposing their will on water. Commanding it. Demanding how it should act, how it should flow. Where it goes and what it does. And to a point, it works. They trudge along, playing in their ponds."

    Nerassus claps his hands around the small water sculpture, laughing as the water splashes all about them before rapidly reforming again. "Splash!"

    "Indeed. They make simple splashes, thinking that throwing a rock in a pond is controlling the pond. It is not. For a true master does not command water. He allows water to command him, to read it's flows, it's movements. He works with water, not against it." With a gesture the small water sprite jumps back into the water, melting into the ocean. Nera stands up to run after, but finds his feet suddenly frozen to the ground. The stinging chill making him yelp.

    "Wah. Cold!"

    P'ua doesn't answer. He steps up besides Nera, gently holding his shoulder with one hand. The other reaches out towards the ocean. He tugs lightly towards him, then relaxes, repeating the motion. And as he does the water reaches further and further up on the beach. The tug of the undertow rushes strong around their feet as the ocean withdraws further away than Nerassus has ever seen before. And then it all comes rushing back towards him at incredible speeds. He cries out, shielding his eyes and digging his head into P'ua. But the aquamancy Master lifts two fingers to the approaching wave and splits them, creating a tiny crack that breaks the wave in two. The water crashes heavily on either side of them in churning eddies of foamy white, washing the beach clear of structures. "And that..." P'ua gently lifts Nera's head up to look at the cleared beach. "Is the power of a Master Aquamancer."

    "Nooo. Shelley's castle!"


    Spoiler: Divining the stars
    Show
    "Hey, pst. Nerassus?!" Nani's voice rings in the sleeping form's ears. The young demigod yawns and rolls over, opening his eyes to look at the master diviner. She has slipped into a large robe to protect against the chill of the night. "Wanna see something cool?"

    "Mlem." He sits up, yawning and clutching a small cloth doll against his chest, created in the image of Petr. The rainbow cape has been formed into a one piece suit that covers his whole form, leaving only his hands and head exposed. "Nani?" He clutches the plush tight to his chest.

    "Quick. Come with me." She tugs on Nerassus's hands, pulling the demigod with her to the very top of the castle where she has her observation chamber. The night sky is full of stars, but what Nani points to specifically is a large comet whose tail is blazing across the sky. "Look. See there?"

    "Oooh! Pretty!"

    "Very." Nani smiles and gestures to the stars, pointing out two that the comet seems to be passing between. "Those two stars are named Deneb and Canopus. When you perform Astrology, Deneb is a star of love, and Canopus is a star of war. The comet is a sign of fortune. Meaning that those who can observe and understand these signs can expect good fortune in both their lovelife and any fights they might get into.

    Nera clutches his doll close to his chest, rocking back and forth as he watches the comet. "Maybe momma will come visit?"

    Nani smiles gently, hugging Nera from behind. "You miss her?"

    "Uhuh. You do future sighting? Do you know when momma will come visit?"

    Nani leans back, frowning as she gazes up at the sky along with Nerassus. "I can try." She breathes in deeply, her gaze flickering from star to star, whispering words quietly to herself that Nerassus can't make out. The process takes a good five minutes, before Nani exhales, as if she's been holding her breath all this time. "I'm sorry. I can't tell you when she returns."

    "No! You see the future. You have to know!"

    "Nera dear. That's not quite how it works." She rubs her chin thoughtfully. "You remember during your birthday? The play? You asked me if I knew how it ended?"

    "Yeah. That was fun!"

    "It sure was. But, think of the whole world as that play. I saw the play unfold just like you did. I didn't "see into the future" to see what would happen."

    "What? But you said that the Wicked Queen would stumble and fall, and she did!"

    Nani nods and gestures for Nera to look at the ground beneath them. "And if you were to stand up and walk over into the darkness there, I could say that you'd stumble and fall. Not because I see the future, but because I know there's an uneven part of the floor there that you'll stumble on." Nerassus looks up at Nani, his face a question mark of utter confusion. "The strongest predictor of the future isn't like seeing a different part of the play. It is in seeing, and knowing, all the current parts of the play, knowing how those pieces will move, and what the consequences of that will be."

    "Uh..."

    "It's okay if you don't understand. You're young, and many of my students still struggle to comprehend the idea. But in the simplest terms I can think of..." Nani rubs her chin, licks her lips as she searches for the words. "The future is what the present creates. If you throw a stone, you can predict that it will fall to the ground. The more you know, the more you can tell what will happen. And that's what astrology is. Asking the stars what they know, what they see, and what they predict. They see and understand far more than what us mortals can do." Nani gives Nera another gentle squeeze. "Unfortunately, even the stars can not well predict what the gods will do."


    Spoiler: Transmutations and change
    Show
    "The school of the warrior is the school of change and adaptiveness!" Tao straightens his back as he sizes up Nerassus. The young but still giant demigod has been given a wooden practice sword, which looks more like a toothpick with how he holds it between two fingers. Nerassus uses the sword to make a playful salute.

    "Sir. Yes sir." Before breaking down into fits of giggles.

    "It's a branch of magic entirely about change." Tao continues, trying to ignore the childish tittering. "For example. By channeling mana into your skin you can give it all sorts of properties. You can make it strong as wood, stone, or even steel. You can make your limbs longer or stronger. It is all about understanding your own body, and how a direct infusion of mana can change it. You understand what mana is yes?"

    "Uhu. Uhu." Nerassus starts to snicker loudly into his own arm.

    "Good. Now, mana is something your body naturally regenerates and it is the energy with which we use to cast spells. You've probably felt how after casting enough spells you begin to feel weak and-" Nerassus snorts loudly again, barely restraining his laughter. "Okay, seriously. What is it that you find so amusing?"

    "Hehe. It's... it's just... you're a sir!" Nerassus sniggers loudly. "Y... you know? Like a tree?!"

    "That's a fir..."


    Spoiler: Lessons in... stealth?
    Show
    "Nerassus?!" Dew'eyera looks about at the dark, ancient caverns that have been at the top of the mountain since long before he was born. A cold, bitter wind blows through the ruined chambers, carrying what sounds like the rumbling laugh of the demigod from deep within. "Nerassus! Where are you?! It's time for your necromancy lessons!" He walks deeper into the cave, unaware that behind and above, hidden in a crack among the dusty ruins are both Nera and Misty.

    "Heh. Look at my father go." Misty whispers, playfully nudging Nera.

    "He can't see us, because we're right behind him but he doesn't know to look behind himself." Nera grins. His own voice is louder, but luckily not loud enough to catch Dew's attention.

    "Shh. We don't want him to find us." Misty glances down one last time, before beckoning to Nerassus. "Okay, coast is clear. This way."

    Misty walks over to one of the ancient reliefs. She digs her fingers into a narrow crack behind it and slowly tugs it open. Stone scrapes against stone as the relief reveals a secret chamber behind itself. The two walk in to reveal a den of treasure, lit up by a single blue magicite lamp. In one corner of the room are several small clay pots, in which various fungi grow. Peculiar artifacts, from mundane but exotic metalworking tools, to peculiar designs old as the ruins themselves. There's a small table on which rests eight different skulls. A male and a female specimen of giant, human, neanderthal and pygmy. And on the center of the table is a ery peculiar device which immediately grabs Nera's attention.

    "What's this?" Nera reaches out to touch the device, but Misty quickly snatches it from his grip.

    "Careful. This here is a special gift from the gods. Well, one of them. But divine nonetheless." She grins, putting the device back on the table. "You shouldn't touch it. It'll take you to a very strange place. I use it when I need some really cool ruins to meditate in."

    "C'mon. Please. I promise I'll be careful!"

    "No. Maybe when you're older."

    "Aww." Nerassus slumps down, crossing his arms with a pout. "So what are we doing here?"

    "Taking a break. This is my secret spot. Father doesn't know about it, so if you ever need to just... hide away from the world, this is the place to go."


    Spoiler: Lessons in Nature Magic
    Show
    "I'll be honest with you Nerassus, but you have to be the most difficult student I've taught." The archdruid rubs his chin thoughtfully as he sighs heavily.

    "I'm sorry." Nerassus's voice is a soft whimper of a whisper as he hangs his head in shame. In his arms he is clutching a painted dog. Resting in his lap is a sleeping Lynx, there's a rodent resting on his shoulder, and a squirrel is muzzing up the fur on his head. "I'll try to do better."

    "That's not the problem. The problem is that you're just too good at this. Honestly, it's hard for me to think of what more I can teach you!"


    Spoiler: Lessons in tree-whispering
    Show
    "Close your eyes child." The Master of Whispers stare intently at Nerassus. She has placed the demigod beneath the tallest tree in the bird sanctuary. A mighty oak planted when Sanctuary was still landlocked. It's roots dig deep, it's branches stretch tall, and the trunk is thicker around than even a giant can hug. And it's a finicky spirit. Even the Master of Whispers occasionally struggle to understand it's wisdom. "Meditate. Let your mind empty. Focus only on your breath, until that too disappears from your thoughts. Deafen yourself to the world. Only when there is absolute silence will you hear the forest. Sit here until the words reach you. Only when you hear the whisper of the wood shall you come seek me out."

    "Understood Master." The young five-year old breathes deeply. The smell of loam and pollen fills his nose. The drip of a small waterfall rushes somewhere behind him. Birds flit in the sky. All these sounds he tries to block out. Even the footsteps of his Master as he leaves. All is still, and all is silent.

    ---

    Late that night, in the Castle of Masters, the sound of crackling fire fills one of the main halls. Outside the sound of wind howls and pounds of the wall. And occasionally there's a loud crack of thunder. Dew shudders softly as he curls himself up tighter before the fireplace, wrapping a blanket of wool tighter around his form. "Ha... what a storm. It's nights like that I'm happy I can live in a god-built castle."

    "I hear ya." P'ua smiles as he carves over blocks of ice using nothing but magic. He creates small statues that he enchants to resist melting, placing them out on the table before him. "You ready for tonight's wargame? Tao said he's been working on a new strategy that will, in his words, "trounce us so badly we'll hide our face in shame." So I'm thinking we're looking at another aggressive early blitz."

    "Maybe we should ask Nera to join in tonight? I think he's old enough to participate. Or at least not eat the game pieces." Dew grins as he steps over to the table, picking up a piece to look it over. "You've gotten pretty good."

    "Thanks. Go fetch Nera? If he falls asleep while we play, we can just all pitch in and carry him to bed."

    "Got it." Dew wanders off, returning a few minutes later with a frown on his face. "Hey, do you know where he is? I didn't find him in his room."

    "Hrm. I think he was supposed to have his first lesson in Treewhispering today..." P'ua's face suddenly goes pale as he glances out at the storm. "You don't think..."

    ---

    Fifteen minutes later, P'ua, Dew'eyera and Master of Whispers, Ozu, all rush down the slippery, dark path to the bird sanctuary. The rain above comes pouring down in thick sheets. After only a few seconds outside they're all drenched to the bone. The winds howl loud enough that they can barely hear one another, and their vision is so poor, they can barely make out the ground three steps ahead. If it weren't for Ozu's familiarity with their surroundings, they would have never found their way.

    But they do. They find the massive oak, and circling around it they find Nerassus, still in a kneeling position. P'ua rushes forward to clutch his form, which causes the young boy's eyes to shoot open. He looks from P'ua to Ozu, and slowly opens his almost frozen mouth. "S... s... s.. sor-rry Ma... Mas... ster Ozu. I c... c.. c couln...dn't. he...hear an... anything."


    Spoiler: The art of necromancy?
    Show
    "A lot of people think that necromancy is the manipulation of bodies and of death. It is not. It is the manipulation of souls, and the balance between life and death." Dew'eyera thrusts his chest outwards as he nods over the corpse between himself and Nerassus and Misty. "The soul is the core of the living experience. It is what separates us from this." He gestures to the lifeless body.

    "But... how am I gonna learn how to manipulate souls if there's no soul here to manipulate?"

    "You're not." Dew'eyera whips out a scalpel and grins. "First I'm going to teach you about anatomy, and how the body and it's physiology works. Misty, help him guide his scalpel. Now, we begin by making a small cut here..."


    Spoiler: How an enchanter works
    Show
    Nerassus growls loudly as he brings the axe down upon the wood. Sweat pours from his brow to soak his chest, and his breathing is heavy from labour as the six year old looks from the pile of wood he has chopped, to the still much larger pile of unchopped wood. "Nghn. Master Kalepo. Haven't I chopped enough wood now?"

    Kalepo looks up from the grassy field he's lying upon, glancing over the two piles before sinking down again. "You still have plenty wood left to chop don't you? Why is it taking you so long? You're bigger and probably stronger and me. But I'd be done already."

    "That's unfair!" Nera pouts, crossing his arms as he stamps his feet hard. "How am I supposed to learn anything from this?!"

    Kalepo sighs dramatically as he stands up. "You're really not getting it huh? What's your problem?"

    "My problem is you aren't teaching me anything!" Nerassus howls angrily.

    "Oh really? So it's not that... say, your tool is bad?"

    "It's the tool you gave me!"

    "And why haven't you made it better?"

    "I... I don't know how?"

    "Didn't stop the first enchanters." Kalepo takes the axe and makes a simple pass with his hand over the head. A small field of purplish energy briefly flickers to life. Tightening his grip, Kalepo swings the axe down on a nearby log, cleaving it in two with one smooth, easy strike. "Piece of cake." He hands the axe back to Nerassus, smirking. "So what have you learned?"

    "Uh..." Nerassus scratches his head curiously, seeking for an answer.

    "You've learned that a good tool makes the job go by much faster. So make yourself a better tool yeah?"

    "I guess..." Nera exhales deeply. "I'll try to figure it out. You're really smart Kalepo."

    With a cheeky grin and a knowing look at the stack of wood that Nerassus fails to comprehend, Kalepo responds with a cheeky "The smartest."


    Spoiler: Solar sorcery
    Show
    Okeyani barely acknowledges Nerassus's presence as the demigod makes his way up to the top of the castle's observation spire. An earthenware bowl filled with stones rests on a table in the center of the room. "You're late."

    "I am?" Nerassus looks down, lowering his head in shame. "I'm sorry. I came here as quickly as I could."

    "That is an excuse young man. And in solar sorcery, there is no room for excuses." Okeyani takes a step towards Nerassus, then another. Her feet climb the air as if she was walking up an invisible staircase,allowing her to look down on Nerassus. "Solar Sorcery can not be performed by the weak of will or the sloppy. It is will, grace, desire... perfection." She looks over Nerassus and gestures to the ground. "Take a seat."

    Without really thinking, Nerassus does as instructed, settling on the floor and allowing Okeyani to cease her flight and still look down on the young demigod. "And you're gonna teach me that?"

    "No. Because perfection isn't something to be taught. It is something you claim through your own hard work and dedication. What I will teach you is how, through solar sorcery, you tell the world that it is not perfect. That it should be different. That it should be how you desire."

    "What do you mean?"

    Okeyani picks up one of the stones from the earthenware bowl and holds it before Nerassus. "What is this child?"

    "It's a stone?"

    "No. It's an apple." Okeyani lifts the rock up before her, except it is now covered in a deep crimson skin, and it has a faintly sweet smell.

    "Huh. But...whoa no way. That was a rock. I saw it!"

    Okeyani brings the fruit to her mouth. She bites in deeply, tearing of a chunk of the fruit which she chews and swallows, before licking the fruit juice from around her lips. "Pretty tasty for a rock."

    "That's so cool!"

    Okeyani permits herself a slight smile before she grabs another rock, passing it to Nerassus. "Now you try."

    "Okay... okay." He clenches his fist tight around the rock, obscuring it from view for a moment. "This is an apple, this is an apple."

    "What is?!"

    "This rock?"

    "Is a rock?"

    "No it's an apple."

    "Is it?" Nerassus opens his eyes to look at the object in his palms. It still feels pretty hard, but it now has a nice red colouration on the outside. "Is that an apple Nerassus?"

    "Y... yeah. I think so."

    "Prove it." Okeyani looks into Nerassus's eyes. Her hands on her hips and her upper body bent slightly forward. Nerassus feels the whole posture intimidating, but he won't tell. Instead he brings the apple to his mouth. Places it between his teeth. And bites down.

    *crnch*

    "OWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" He howls in pain, holding his jaws as the rock with it's extremely thin layer of skin drops from his hands to the ground. "Oww oww oww oww oww."

    "Looks like you've got a long way to go still child."


    Spoiler: The forbidden art of pyromancy
    Show
    "There's no doubt about your heirtage Nerassus." P'ua smiles warmly as the demigod finishes creating a ring of ice around a straw dummy. "Even mages who focus only on Aquamancy struggle to reach your level of mastery so quickly. And yet here you are, able to perform the basics of every single school of magic there is."

    "Thank you." Nerassus beams with pride down at his teacher. "But... actually. I've been meaning to ask. Some people tell me about a ninth school of magic. Fire. And I just... I was curious. Why don't people talk about it? Why isn't there a fire Master? Why haven't any of you taught me about that?"

    P'ua exhales softly, shaking his head at the big demigod. "Because... it is a dangerous school. The goddess of Fire, Alatadriel, is a covetuous and jealous god. When Su'ule granted mortalkind the ability to perform magic, Alatadriel grew jealous of mortalkind. She cursed fire, so that whenever it interacts with magic it grows wild and unpredictable, seeking to burn the body and soul of the practicioner. In her greed she took part of magic and sealed it away, hoping to keep true Mastery away from mortalkind."

    "Oh..." Nerassus frowns thoughtfully. "Is that why no one can use it?"

    "... some can use it. A highly skilled aquamancer can shield his body from the ravages of fire."

    "So I could learn it?"

    "Why?"

    "Hrm?"

    "Why do you want to learn fire magic?"

    "Because..." Nerassus frowns. "I mean, I'm supposed to eventually guard the island right? That means I need to become a proper Su'Speaker, so that I can be as strong as possible to keep everyone safe."

    "And what strength would fire magic give you?"

    "I... guess it'd be good for attacking? Maybe?"

    P'ua chuckles. A soft, mirthless laugh as he glances over at the dummy. "Offense. The simplest, and least useful form of pyromancy. If you wish to go on the offensive..." He gestures towards the dummy. A thin strand of water shoots out from his fingers. It flows into the dummy's mouth, and a brief moment later P'ua clenches his fist. As he does the dummy bursts apart from the inside as a massive, spiky ice crystal forms within. "Even Aquamancy, the school of healing, can easily kill someone. Destroying someone is oh so easy. You don't need fire to do that."

    "Then... then why did you learn it?" Nerassus looks at the ice crystal covered in straw and torn cloth. He feels a little squeamish, but can't bring himself to look away.

    "For what fire magic uniquely can bring. Remember your first lesson in Treewhispering? How cold you were when we found you?"

    "I do..."

    "Back then I used fire magic to warm you up. A layer of heat to wrap gently about you. Water could have healed you if the cold injured you. But the heat allowed us to keep you from getting hurt in the first place. It has also been useful whenever Kalepo has done experiments with metalworking. Those require a lot of heat. Far more than our ovens can produe. And... you touched upon perhaps it's best offensive use without even knowing about it."

    "Oh?"

    "Fire... is fear. Amongst the people, I am not feared. People know me as a healer. They seek me out for my gentle touch, and protective embrace. But they do not fear me."

    "Why should they fear you?"

    "Because. Sometimes, in this world, there is violence. Sometimes even here people come and they do not bring kindness or healing. They come to take, to dominate, to destroy. Because they think us aquamancers too weak and soft to defend ourselves. But we can. With frightening accuracy and efficiency, even we can end lives. But I do not want to end lives. And that is why I study pyromancy."

    "I'm not sure I understand..."

    "As I said, fire is fear. If I were to conjure a globe of water around someone's head, slowly choking the life from them, people would not be as frightened as if I were to lob a ball of raging fiery inferno at their location. The act is just as lethal, but one is much better at inspiring fear than the other."

    "So... fear can be a good thing?"

    "It can.." P'ua shakes his head with a sad frown. "I'm sorry. I think the subject matter is too heavy for you to understand. Let's... put a pin on things for now. Once you're older and understand what I'm talking about, I will teach you fire magic. But for now... I need you to grow older and wiser. And a lot more skilled in aquamancy."

    "Okay... I understand. I think." Nerassus nibbles his lips, wringing his hands thoughtfully. "So, can you instead teach me how to breathe water maybe?"


    Spoiler: Sanctuary Justice
    Show
    Nerassus has been dragged by Nani to one of the lower windows of the castle. One that overlooks the courtyard outside. All the other Masters are gathered there, sitting on chairs before a human woman who has been brought before them. Her face has been covered by a hemp bag. Standing beside her is another woman, reciting strange words and phrasings to the Masters. Several other people are gathered behind her. Most look at the obscured woman in disgust. Some with pity.

    "Nani..." Nerassus frowns as he leans against the window sill, a strange feeling roaring about in his heart to the point of making him feel nauseous. "I don't understand what is going on there."

    "It's a trial." Nani says, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "The woman you hear speak is reciting the crimes she has been accused of. It's... good that you don't understand. The accused has hurt a lot of people. She has hurt a lot of children. Badly."

    "Oh. That's bad. Why would she do that?"

    "I wish I could tell you. Some people are just... cruel. They think only of themselves, caring not for who gets hurt in the process." Nani looks aside. "Usually I'd be down there as well, but I had to ask to be excused so I could be here and teach you. You need to see this if you're one day going to grow up and lead and protect the island."

    "See what?" Nani just stares silently ahead. "Nani? See what?"

    "Shh... they're about to render their verdict."

    Nerassus looks over the Masters. All eight of them have extended their arms out before them. They look among one another, and then they all extend their thumb up, except for P'ua who extends it down. "Then it is decided." Okeyani's voice carries loud and clear all the way from the courtyard. "For your crimes against the weakest of our society, you are judged to the harshest of our punishments."

    "Punishment?" Nerassus looks up at Nani curiously. "Are they going to make her go to bed without supper?"

    "No. Nera. What she's done is so much worse than even your worst prank." From the window, Nera watches as Dew stands up and approaches the bound woman. His form starts to flicker with blue, ephemeral flames as he reaches out for the woman.

    "Wait... what is he doing? That looks like... that looks like?! Dew? What are you doing?! Nani, what is he doing?!" Nerassus lifts himself up to begin scrabbling out the window. He's too quick and strong for Nani to stop him, and he leaps down three floors to land in the courtyard. His legs hurt, but he shakes off the pain as he staggers towards the gathered people. "Dew! Stop it!" He tries to run towards Dew, but Dew doesn't stop. In fact, P'ua rushes up to Nerassus and holds him back, keeping Nerassus from getting any closer. "P'ua. What are you doing? We have to stop Dew."

    "Nera. No. I'm sorry. But there's nothing we can do now."

    "What do you mean? Don't you." Nerassus's objections is stopped as a loud, piercing cry escapes the bound woman's lips. Her whole body twitches and spasms, before she flops and falls backwards, dead. Standing over her is Dew, his face dark and cold. In his hands he is clutching a flickering flame of blue. One that he places within a small crystal of magicite hanging around his neck. He turns around to look, briefly, at Nerassus. Nerassus's own eyes are wide. Shock. Betrayal. Hurt. Tears well in the corner of his eyes. Dew can't bear to maintain the look and he turns away from Nerassus. "Dew... what have you done?!"
    Last edited by Maryring; 2020-03-02 at 08:30 PM.

  18. - Top - End - #168
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2013

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Cult of the Mad God

    On the isle where the covenant with the terrors had been sanctified, the tongues began feeling restless. They feel excluded and paranoid, being the only race on the island not to have shed blood on behalf of their divine god. The other two races grow closer by the day as they serve together under a blood pact. They worry that these barbaric pygmies and violent terrors may turn their murderous rages against them if they do not find a way to be of use and a part of the community. Until one day one of them comes up with a plan, he is going to try on the crown. Odds are he will die but maybe he will be the chosen one. Even if he does die, he will bring his people into the fold. He finds this to be a good, if uncertain plan. What if the pygmies do not see this as a good enough method of joining them? So therefore he waits and contemplates.

    The Terrors are adapting quick to the cult, standing guard over the crown and serving as the primary “servants” when someone unworthy puts on the crown. Others perform hunting or guard the perimeter of the island. This has allowed the pigmies to divert more manpower into other projects. The number of followers of the Path of Emotion grow regularly as they work to become more prepared for greeting any who sail out their way. The influx of population has also led to needing to harvest more of the abandoned boats and supplies in order for the communities to build dwellings quickly. Overall, it is a time of growth and change for the cult of the mad god as they incorporate a new aspect to their community.

    The Empire:

    Timorin has another young child to greet. Babies are cute. They have so much potential for drama. He couldn’t wait for some of the most powerful beings in existence, next to the gods of course, to go through their puberty years. Ah the destruction they ought to cause. He needed a good blessing to bestow upon the fox girl however so he strolled through the city. He came upon a weapons shop and decided he would get her one of them. Inside he picked up a great sword. Then a bow. Then a war axe. Then a spiked chain. Then a quarterstaff. Of course she would need a dagger…. An hour later, Timorin had picked out all of the weapons she would need.

    “Here you go little darling,” he said as he piled weapon after weapon in front of her. “You’ll want to get some practice with each of these I suppose. I bet you are great with them. Make sure to always put on a good show so that people will remember you."

    Spoiler: Help!
    Show

    +2 war, +2 drama. Timorin gifts Rosie with the ability to master any weapon in a matter of minutes. He also gives her a flair to match her heroism. She will never settle for clean and proper. When she goes about a fight or a quest, she will do so in the flashiest way she can, sacrificing a sure thing for something more dramatic.


  19. - Top - End - #169
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    May 2017

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Chern, 22/50 AP, Alatadriel's Wedding

    It was only when the guests were taking their seats at the crest of the ocean cliff, bare minutes before the ceremony was set to begin, that a wizened figure in an ill-fitting toga shambled hurriedly onto the scene. Chern adjusted his mask with a thin hand, apologising hoarsely as he side-stepped past the already-seated guests towards his assigned position. He lowered himself with a gasp of exertion, clutching at the small of his back. He then rifled through the folds of his toga, brushing aside dust and stray feathers, and even a stray fang that'd embedded in his thigh.

    He'd had to duck away from dealing with the desert raptors to make the wedding, and consequentially hadn't found much time to make himself presentable. Chern couldn't help but feel a bit of chagrin at the sight of Alatadriel and her bride walking down the aisle, even more stunning than usual in her ceremonial attire. She was just as - if not more - responsible for the botched creation of the terrors as Grawissen, but at least he had helped with Chern's aid initiative. Meanwhile here Alatadriel was, making a mockery of mortal rituals with this perverse affect of mundanity. It was irresponsible, megalomaniacal, a frivolous refusal of her own divinity.

    Then again, Chern understood the temptation to play at mortality. He'd almost done much the same thing with the Sanctuary necromancer girl who's name he still couldn't recall. While the divine couple recited their vows, Chern couldn't help but think of her briefly.

    "Um, excuse me."

    Chern looked to the side, where a wealthy Sinalese man was looking at him with impatience.

    "Hmm?"

    "Sir, are you aware that you smell awful? And I mean, really awful?"

    "Hmm..."

    Chern tuned out the puny mortal's indignance, watching with a listless gaze as Alatadriel and Magus pontificated on their mutual everlasting love.

    ---

    With the marriage consummated, festivities began atop the dramatic sea cliff. Chern immediately proceeded to the punch bowl, filling himself a goblet and lifting his mask a fraction to take a sip. He swirled the fruity beverage around in his cheeks for a few seconds, then spat it onto the grass, which immediately wilted and died. He used a hip flask from his grimy toga to top up the goblet with a few shots of luminous brown chum.

    Maggie broke off from the party for a bit as Alatadriel dances among the fire dancers who had their own seperate area. Dancers weaved between each other's flames as they pounded their feet into the sandy dance pit. The few pairs of dancers who could perform such a dance without tiring themselves went about weaving seamlessly together, ducking beneath flames inches from their heads as their partners dipped them. Others breaking off from each other seconds before fire ignited the tips of their fingers.

    "Hey, You're uh..." Magus seemed to be racking her head. "Chern right? I had a friend who met you... Well... 'friend' may be a bit too nice, she was a bit of a bitch. Anyway, how goes... Decaying things?" Maggie looked at the flame dancers as Alatadriel weaved between all the groups, spinning across the pit between the strikes of the flame dancers that dodged each other. Chern turned his yellow eyes on Magus.

    "You tell me, mortal, you're the one who's doing it as we speak." Chern took another sip, and smacked his lips. He looked over at the dancers, then back at Magus, a little less intense this time. "Apologies, that was not the sort of comment to make on a day like this. Especially not to the newly-wed. Congratulations, by the way."

    Maggie backed up a couple of feet from Chern "Yeeeah." She take a very long sip of punch as she tries to ignore the glowing eyes of Chern as she focused on her wife instead, whose dress was whipping with flames as she danced giving a blissful sigh. "She's even more beautiful when she's happy isn't she?"

    "You've certainly found quite the partner, literal goddess and all. Though I can't help but wonder... Does it not bother you? How different you are? She probably knows you better than you know yourself, and you'll never be able to comprehend all of her."

    Maggie snorted as she let out a laugh. Choking slightly on her drink.

    "Oh, ahaha. " She snorted again. "Oh, that's funny. You really don't know her that well." She stopped to take a drink. "It's a little hard to see past all those layers she puts up, that immaculate facade. I don't even think she sees past it on her bad days to be honest. But... I do. And she's not really all that different from any of the mortals... Also, she still hasn't caught on to the fact that I don't like chocolate. So she doesn't know everything about me."

    Chern blinked at the bride, his mask impassively hiding his skepticism.

    "Can't argue with that," he said, swirling his drink. He reached into his toga. "Hey, before you go mingle and dance with your love, I wanted to give you something. I understand that you're with child. Here."

    Chern handed Magus a small wooden box, bleached to the characteristic paleness of Chern's mask. Inside was an intricate construction of metal and glass, with an fluid-filled chamber at one end and a needle-point at the other.

    "It's for the child, when she's born. Careful though, it's sharp."

    "Um... Thank you?" Magus looked confused as she held up the strange fluid filled container. Looking at the careful construction made her feel a bit ill, and she put the glass contraption back into the box. Alatadriel seperated herself from the crowd, sweating slightly as she gave shouts of encourangement to others as she walked. She took a long drink from the punch bowl.

    She extended her hand to Chern for a shake. "So how're you liking the party, buddy?" The band started to play a slower, but drum heavy beat. "Oh, I know I was just out there, but this is my favorite song!" She looked to Maggie for approval.

    Maggie giggled. "Oh, it's fine." Magus pecked Alatadriel on the cheek. "Just save the next dance for me, okay?"

    "Hey, you haven't really been dancing all that much Chern. Mind being my partner?"

    "It's called a vaccine, I developed the concept for them a while ago but then healing magic became a thing and- come again?" Chern looked from Alatadriel to Magus and back again. "A dance? Uh..."

    "Yeah, Chern. That's what you do at parties. Come on," Alatadriel took his hand. "It's not that hard. I'll even lead if you want me too."

    Maggie giggled, whispering to Chern. "That's a joke, she always leads."

    Chern's eyes widened, his mask impassively hiding the flush that crept into his pallid face, as he was yanked away into the throng of dancers. He had to dodge to the side as a jet of fire narrowly missed igniting his head.

    Spoiler: Help!
    Show
    Help Alatadriel create a demigod

    +4 Decay as this gift concerns diseases

    -2 Downtrodden, because Alatadriel is a fascist

    The syringe Chern gave to Magus, if administered to Rosalin, will make her immune to diseases of any kind. It also tangentially grants her and her society with an advanced technology, namely vaccination, though since no one knows what a virus is yet they'll probably end up injecting people with suspensions of crushed up fox genitals or something.


    ---

    Fortified punch spilled across the cushions of the outdoor reclining sofa, as Chern gesticulated with his goblet.

    "Look, I don't want to say it. I don't want to be that guy... But we're all thinking it right? Right? You know what I'm talking about, huh?"

    The hua-ling sitting perched on the table opposite him met the tipsy god's gaze steadily. Chern leaned in close to vulpine face, ignoring the young student couple making out on the cushions right beside him.

    "This Magus mortal is so punching above her weight in this relationship. I mean, I get it. There is an allure in the ephem- ephemal- ephemerality of mortalkind, to be sure. And she's... Well she's not bad looking. She's a type, y'know, I suppose she's Alatadriel's type. But coooome oooon, she's with a goddess! Is everyone just going to ignore that? She used to be a fox for the love of rot! No offence, 'course."

    The fox licked its nose in a conciliatory manner.

    "But yeah, she could definitely do better. Could make her own perfect lover. Someone who has the same interest in little mechanical inventions as she, perhaps. Or even get with one of the other gods, you know? Sure she's a bit of a pariah with the pantheon community at present, and not without reason. She's a despot, and generally a horrible person to be honest. But she's just so foxy, is she not? Sorry I don't know if that's an okay word to use, is it okay?"

    The hua-ling glared.

    "Alright, I get it, your word. Hey... Hey... I got to ask. Does Alatadriel... She's the father, right, so does she have a, you know... A thing?"

    Chern waggled his finger suggestively. The hua-ling hopped off the table and sauntered away, apparently disgusted. Chern slumped back in the sofa.

    "Oh dear..." He glanced reproachfully at the oblivious couple next to him. "I need to find a bathroom."

    ---

    When Chern awoke the next morning, he felt a strange, almost out of body experience. Like he was floating on a light breeze. He opened his eyes - or tried to, instead finding that eyes had lost their meaning for him, that he no longer needed eyes. Chern expanded his consciousness, attempting groggily to grasp his situation.

    He was hovering at the beginning of one of the paths to the Passing. Most curious, he thought. He didn't remember dying recently. He turned his perception back down towards the earth, not too far below him yet simultaneously so, so distant. He could just about see it...

    His own corpse, lying face down beside the latrines, his flesh being scavenged by a small group of hua-ling. Chern's disembodied divine soul muttered to itself dejectedly.

    "Damn it. I need to stop coming to parties."

    "You could be onto something there, my friend."

    Thal-Verys stood part way up the immaterial path above him, her Book of Souls in one hand and her lantern in the other. Chern looked up at her, his aspect melancholic.

    "Working hard I see. The demands of death never cease nor slow."

    "Especially when it comes to you Chern. Where do you wish to go? The Passing?"

    "No, no. I should return to my raptor oasis. Do some hard work myself."

    "Very well. Let me escort you. Let's get you home."

    "Thank you, Thal-Verys."
    Last edited by Garjel_blah; 2020-03-03 at 09:55 AM.

  20. - Top - End - #170
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    OrcBarbarianGuy

    Join Date
    May 2017

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Déjà vu floated away from the party, he could not interact with anyone without scaring the guests so he found no point in staying. besides, he had some business to attend to. He came to a vacant area of the city and looked up to the sky. “Oh great Ymon-Thal, I ask for your assistance, to ease the spirits of the dead.”

    Ymon-Thal manifested on either side of the demigod.

    "You're new!" Ymon tilted his head as he looked at Déjà vu. "And kinda weird looking."

    Thal sighed. "Nevermind him. What do you want?"

    Déjà vu look to his side. “I wish to enter the passing… I didn’t make it in time to save some people and their last thoughts were probably assuming the worst for their kids. I ask you to allow me into the passing to tell them their kids are alright.”

    "That's nice!"

    "And rather meaningless", Thal added. "If these souls are even still in the Passing they likely do not care much for the fate of their children anymore. Mortal concerns pass quickly there."

    Ymon-Thal considered the request for a few seconds before Thal spoke again.

    "Still, we will grant you your wish as a favour to Grawissen. As long as you obey the rules. The Passing's keeper Thal-Verys will lead you to those you seek, follow her and do not speak to anyone not related to your quest."

    Déjà vu bowed to both of them. “Thank you.” A fog enveloped the area revealing the gates of the passing. “Well here goes nothing.” Déjà vu thought to himself as he walked through. “I just hope they’re still there.”

    As Déjà Vu entered the Passing he came face to face with its guardian, eyeing him carefully. "Welcome to the Passing, Déjà Vu of Grawissen. I am Thal-Verys."

    ____________

    They wanted the passing for what felt like an eternity, searching every soul. “How Big is this place?” Déjà vu said in annoyance.

    Thal-Verys Kept quiet.

    “Not much it’s of a talker are you?” déjà vu than sighed as he continued to walk along the path. “Wait!” déjà vu then noticed a group of people standing by a campfire. “Thank you for the help by the way.” Déjà vu said, waving at his guide before running off.

    Thal-Verys simply sighed and waved back.

    The tribe noticed the massive rhino man running towards them and quickly grabbed their spears.

    Déjà vu stopped himself. “Whoa, whoa, hold on! I’m here to bring good news.” The Crow people still held up their spears. “... Your kids are fine…”

    They lowered the spears. “How do you know that?” when the tribesmen asked

    “I save them along with your tongue visitor.” Déjà vu then sunk his head in shame. “I’..I’m sorry I wasn’t there in time to save you. That is all I wanted to say.” Déjà vu than started to turn around.

    “WAIT!” one of the tribesmen yelled out. Déjà vu turned back. “I want you to do one more thing for me.”
    ______________

    The kid’s alone in his hut, it had been a few weeks since he lost his father. The kid barely had the energy to get out of bed. Just then a bird flew into the entrance and landed on the bed next to the kid. It was holding something in his beak. It dropped it in front of the kid and then flew out. “What is this?” the kid thought to himself as he picked up the flute. It was a beautifully crafted flute. There was something written on the side of the flute. One last gift, I love you. The kid simply stared at the flute as tears started to emanate from his eyes.

    Déjà vu watched, floating over the kid with the kid unable to see him. “That is all I can do, a gift your father was saving.” then Déjà vu flow to the way with the wind.

  21. - Top - End - #171
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Chimera

    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Spoiler: Action
    Show
    18 AP/14 DC: create a Demigod-Rosalin Ravenhold +2 Willfulness.
    Little Rosalin 'Rosey' Ravenhold just turned ten days old today, and as is customary in The Empire. A celebration is called introducing for introducing the mother back into their normal lives as months of seclusion (Other than family members) are typical tradition before the birth. Believed to be good for the health of the mother and baby.
    Due to her divine blood though Rosey is a bit different than other children
    +2 Foxes. Rosey inherited her mother's fox-like features. Bearing three white tails, and a pair of fox ears along with a keen sense of smell and hearing. Though not the same sharp facial features of Nerasuss.
    +2 Fire. Fire runs deep within the blood Alatadriel and so does it too with the child leading her to have a more aggressive, and fiery personality. Rosey will one day grow up to be defiant, stubborn, maltempered, ambitious, and blunt.
    Su'ule notices from her place in the sky that a new baby demi god has been born, and is now ten days old. Su'ule would smile if she had lips.
    Well, she only wanted to help the little demi goddess and she appeared in the sky above the baby's location. . . Su'ule blessed the baby with a very powerful spell.

    Spoiler
    Show

    +2 Monsters , the baby Rosey Ravenhold had the ability to command any beast that could be classified as monstrous. This might be more difficult though, the stronger and more powerful a monster gets.
    +2 Sorcery, the baby Rosey had the ability to scream like Su'ule, causing massive devastation, like one of the uncreated banshee, or learn any kind of Su' sorcery much more easily than any mortal.
    +1 Birth, Rosey had the gift of painless child birth.
    - 2 Willfulness , Su'ule didn't mean to do anything wrong or make Rosey overly rebellious, but as was already happening according to the meddling of herself and other deities, Rosey's attitude towards tyranny and overbearing attitudes would only grow increasingly hostile.

    Last edited by DarthArminius; 2020-03-03 at 03:50 PM.
    I am ArlEammon. I've been here since 2004, but I've lost access to my other account.

  22. - Top - End - #172
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Bergen

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    From their position in the divine realms, Petr has watched their child grow older and wiser among mortalkind. For the most part everything has gone quite well. But recently, his poor son got stuck in a severe rainstorm which left him bedridden with a severe cold for a whole week. There was never any fear for his life, especially while Petr is still awake. But soon the gods will once more return to their "sleep" as it were. A time in which Petr can't maintain their child. Mortality has given Nerassus perspective, but what he will need now is the power to remain manifest even as Petr drifts off.

    That is why Petr has been gathering up waters of life from all across the planet. Healing springs that contain trace amount of Petr's essence. Mixed with a pure drop of their own, it'll should be enough to create an elixir that can grant a nongod the longevity of a divine. But Petr is not satisfied. To them the elixir lacks... something. Which is what has brought them to Ymon-Thal.

    "Hello Ymon-Thal. How's Verys doing?"

    "Petr!" Ymon greeted. "She's good, kinda weird but great. A little sad, I think. But happy."

    Thal nodded, though whether in greeting or in agreement was a little unclear. "Petr."

    "Sad and happy both at once? She's certainly taking well after you two." Petr looks out over the Passing. Souls drift from gaps between the mortal world and the passing, and back again in a seemingly endless stream. A torrent that will only grow wilder as mortalkind becomes more numerous. "There's sure to be a lot of work for her to do when we're gone, which is actually why I came here to speak with you. How did you plan to keep her active and energized while we're gone?"

    "We have our ways", Thal said. "Life and death are not exactly unknown to us."

    "Yeah, we can keep her alive for ever and ever. Except if we fail, then..." Ymon mimed an explosion with his hands. "Poof. No more soul."

    Thal's eyes narrowed. "I suppose we could listen to other ideas if you have any."

    Petr nods their head thoughtfully, before they pull out a small bowl. Swirling within is a peculiar liquid. Free-flowing like water, but with a faintly golden hue. "That's the thing yeah. If we're asleep we can't step in to help our demigods. I've been working on a solution to help keep Nerassus active and allow him to live independently of my divine essence. Which is why I have made this. A concoction of the healing springs I have spread across the world. Various pieces of my own essence to give him health and vitality. And a small drop of my own purest essence, so that should the body be destroyed he can recreate it from his soul. But it's unstable. I don't know if I can make it work for sure. So I came here."

    Both of Ymon-Thal stared at the bowl and the liquid in it, seeing beyond its appearance to the energies within. "Yes, yes, this could work. We can poke and prod it just right."

    "But we cannot stabilize it for long, divine essence is not meant for such a form."

    Ymon lit up. "A party! No, not a party. Like a party but with fewer people and no punch."

    "That would be a meeting." Thal turned to Petr. "If we bring Nerassus and Thal-Verys together we should be able to stabilize your concoction long enough."

    Petr's face lights up. They nod their head and rub their chin thoughtfully. "The best solution then I think would be to bring them both to the MoonPool. The mortal world and the Passing are close there. If you summon Thal-Verys, I will bring Nerassus."

    Petr and Nerassus stand together at the edge of the MoonPool. It's a dark, moonless night. One Petr chose so as to keep the mortals from prying too closely. As far as they know, Nerassus is in his bed, fast asleep. Instead of standing beside her. The five year old giant is clutching Petr tightly about the waist as he takes delight in his parent's presence. Petr has their gaze focused upon the surface of the lake and past it.

    "This is so exciting Momma. What is the secret? You gonna tell me? C'mon. Please. I've been good."

    "The best my dear boy. But please calm yourself. We're having guests tonight, and I want you to be on your best behaviour. He is going to help me with the surprise." They give Nerassus a knowing smile before they brush their hand gently through the thick fur on his head. "Why don't you tell your animal friends to take some steps back so they don't get frightened.

    "Aww. You saw them? You're so obsh... obst.... you're so good at looking momma.

    With a soundless flash Ymon-Thal and Thal-Verys manifested. Instead of his previous adult forms Ymon-Thal looked like two boys about Nerassus' own age. Thal's childlike face looked even more dour than usual while Ymon looked more like himself than ever. Thal-Verys looked perplexed at her god, now several feet shorter than herself.

    "Hey! You're Nerassus, aren't you? You seem nice!" Ymon said, running up to the demigod and seemingly one second of lost self-control away from poking him.

    Thal glared at his other self. "He is not being condescending. He is just like this." He looked over at the bowl Petr was holding. "Should we get started?"

    "I am!" Nerassus claps his hands together with glee. His eyes gaze up and down over Ymon, before he turns to Thal. He bows his head slightly in an attempt to appear cordial. "It is nice to meet you both. Is that the surprise? New playmates?!

    "Not exactly. Nerassus, be a dear and walk over to the woman okay? Petr gestures to Thal-Verys. Nerassus looks up at his parent, before he gives an obedient nod, waddling over to Verys with a friendly smile.

    "Hi. Do you know what's about to happen miss?"

    Petr meanwhile offers the bowl to Thal with a nod. Within the bowl float two tiny motes of pure essence. Smaller than a grain of sand, yet instantly recognizable to a god as fragments of Petr, offered up for Verys and Nerassus.

    Thal-Verys looked down at the small demigod. Even as a mortal she had never been very good with children and no amount of godhood was likely to change that. "Hi. I think... do you know what death is?" She stopped, mentally slapping herself. "I mean, I think they are going to make sure you are... you know, around for a really long time."

    Meanwhile, Ymon and Thal flickered out of existence and Ymon-Thal stood as one next to Petr. He accepted the bowl and held his hand above it, forcing the metaphorical storm in the bowl to turn into calm seas. The essence was stable. "It is done. Now hurry."

    Petr takes the bowl and walks over to the two demigods. As they step forward they split themselves. Petra stepping up to Nerassus to offer him one bowl, while Peter steps up to Thal-Verys with another. "Drink up." They say in unison.

    "Okay!" Nerassus grabs the bowl and empties the contents into his mouth. He smacks his lips thoughtfully for a moment. "Huh. Tastes like honey... and ooh. It tickles! The young demigod chuckles as the essence flows through his body, going from the top of his ears to the end of his toes, causing his whole body to briefly glow with divine energy.

    Thal-Verys bowed her head as she accepted the bowl. "Thank you." She held it for moment, paused by nameless doubt, before lifting it to her mouth and letting the contents flow down her throat. She felt the energy burn through her and a second after seeing Nerassus light up she did the same.

    The glow only lasts for a few moments. But while it flows through them they can feel the tingling touch of eternity through their form. Like a wellspring of life flowing from the depths of their core, keeping the very concept of death at bay for them both. They shall not grow old.

    Spoiler: Action: Petr and Ymon-Thal
    Show

    12 AP/8 DC: Immortalise a demigod *2
    Together, Petr and Ymon-Thal immortalize their demigods. Using Ymon-Thal's domains of life and death and Petr's essence, the two demigods are granted the same brand of immortality.

    +2 Healing: The essence of Petr grants health and vitality. Their wounds will heal automatically, and their bodies will never grow old and frail with age.
    +2 Water: The pure water of Petr will shield them from the needs of a physical body. Hunger, thirst, sleep. These are luxuries that they may choose to indulge, but will nevermore need.
    +2 Life: Ymon's essence of life strengthens their bodies and souls to a level beyond any living mortal.
    +2 Death: No matter how old or wounded, Thal ensures that their souls are kept from being drawn into the Passing
    +2 MoonPool: The sacred MoonPool will act as an emergency net. Should the unthinkable come to pass, and their bodies end up completely destroyed, they may rebuild their bodies from the MoonPool's sacred water.

  23. - Top - End - #173
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2013

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Maddening Marsh

    Timorin saw all of his friends playing with their new demigods and became somewhat… he wasn't sure what it was he was feeling. But he did not like it. He decided it that to help the feeling go away, he would visit some of his old friends.

    So he transformed into a frog the size of a boar and went to the Maddening Marsh. He had not been here since before his nap. He watched as the people went about their lives, lacking any grace or finesse. They were barely better off than before. Using primarily wood.

    Where is their Amberis? The trees are plentiful enough. And their magic? They have no proper understanding of anything.

    This troubled Timorin yet he could not sense why. He stayed just long enough to see a young man wander away from his group and get attacked by an alligator. The others came but they were too late to prevent him from coming to deadly injury. A young woman came up to him. "My love, you are badly wounded. Please do not leave me." He tried to speak but she already knew what he would ask. "I have some right here my dear." She pulled out a flask. "Drink some tea my darling and come back to me." She poured the liquid down his throat and in instants he lay still. She began sobbing over the young corpse.

    As Timorin left, he felt no sport in it. Something had soured his taste for it. This mundane violence. Imagine the glory if he had been trained in the arts of the warrior. My cultists would have at least wounded the alligator near as bad. Perhaps his shadows will be able to entertain him.

    Tainted Lands

    Timorin returned to the village where he released his shadows to begin with. His shadows by now had likely moved on to spread throughout the Tainted Lands and farther, causing untold emotion. He found them living very mundane lives, barely changed since he last visited.

    He found the mayor, sitting in the office and doing nothing. It was then that he realized the Shadow of Apathy still hung over him. "Move on. It is no fun to keep it up. He either learned to embrace his apathy or not."

    The shadow fled from their spot in the mayor's house leaving the man to be alone, having not yet noticed Timorin. Suddenly the man let out a sigh like he had been holding a great breath. "What can I do? My people are poor and all these recent disasters have merely made it worse. Perhaps we should abandon this cursed city and move on." Timorin watched the man, feeling that this was not what he was hoping to find here.

    Diviworld

    Suddenly Timorin was in his arena in Diviworld, surrounded by nothing, trying to figure out what it was that was bothering him. He felt… something… watching all of the other gods with their children… and now he didn't even find proper entertainment in his old stomping grounds. Hm… no sense dwelling on this. Perhaps Nera would be down for a playmate for the time being

  24. - Top - End - #174
    Orc in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Juniper, Sunset Forest, Ebonbark Bay - 26AP

    Juniper tore through the forest, the bloodied amberis knife still clutched in his hand. The now-sixteen-year-old had half a mind to throw it away, but he might still need it if his pursuers caught up with him.

    If only they hadn't insulted his mother. If only he had been able to keep his anger under control. He could see her now, disappointment written across her face. His pace slowed as he reached the edge of the river, swollen by recent heavy rainfall.

    He would never go back to the village, he resolved, but neither did he have anywhere else to go. Perhaps it would be best if he threw himself into the foaming waters and ended it all there and then.

    "No," a voice above him said. "I have other plans for you."

    Juniper started and then cowered before the great corvid. Avestra descended to the branch above him, fixing him with a beedy-eyed stare.

    "He still lives, though barely. I will see that he makes a full recovery in time."

    "Thank you," Juniper murmured. He let the knife fall from his grasp. "But, why me?"

    "You have been raised by the Crow in accordance with my ways," Avestra said spreading a wing, "but beyond this forest, countless more of your kind live in darkness. You must take my words back to the tallheads and teach them to live as one with nature as the Crow do."

    "I... I wouldn't know where to start."

    "Your adoptive mother saw something in you which I didn't. I was wrong where she was right. Come, let me show you."

    Avestra swept her wing over Juniper and the next thing he knew, he had been tossed into the air. The bird goddess soared above him, not in the form of a crow, but a great snowy owl. Juniper looked down and saw below him a herd of wilder beasts. Trailing the herd was a pride of big cats.

    "See how the lions stalk the beasts? What do you think happens when they eat too many of the herd?"

    "They... go hungry?" Juniper ventured.

    "Precisely. An excess of predators causes scarcity in their prey species, which in turn reduces the predator population. Nature is self-balancing in many ways like this. Come."

    Avestra swept her wing once more and this time Juniper found himself floating above a lake, crisscrossed by huts and bridges. Fishermen were hauling nets stuffed with more fish than he had ever seen in his life.

    "There will be a feast tonight and probably tomorrow, but the day after that?" Avestra said in his ear. "Once the fish are gone from the lake, man's ingenuity will allow him to move onto the next pristine source. The balance of nature has been overridden."

    The avian goddess spun in the air and reality itself seemed to corkscrew. When it unfurled again, Juniper found himself in the midst of a grey place thronged with people. Tallheads like himself. The stench from the huts, the gutters and the people themselves, was overpowering.

    "This is a city. The nuclei of mankind. Ever growing. Ever multiplying."

    "I don't understand. Where are all the trees?" Juniper asked in a quiet voice. He reached out to touch a passerby, his hand going straight through her.

    "There are none here. The whole world will one day be like this, unless a different path is taken."

    Avestra let out a primal cry and the city around them melted away, to be replaced by the familiar riverbank they had been standing on.

    "What must I do?" Juniper asked after a pause.

    "Go and teach your birth people everything the Crow have taught you," Avestra said, tilting her head sideways. "But first, you must head north and west from here until you find a great city called Al-Sinai. On the day you arrive, there will be a celebration for the birth of a child. You will bring her this."

    Avestra swept her wing across Juniper and a small, ornately-carved wooden box materialised in his hands.

    "Do not open the box until you reach the palace. Inside there is something that will help you gain entry. Good luck."

    Spoiler: Action
    Show


    Influence 100k mortals (12 AP, 8 DC) with +2 nature and +2 birds, by founding the Way of the Divine Owl faith. Will also use the 2+ Avestra's Perch from the sanctification of Sunset Forest, if possible, as the action starts within Sunset Forest and spreads its culture to new lands.

    Over the next generation, Juniper preaches the Way of the Divine Owl across central Tria. The majority of its followers are found in the Empire of the Holy Flame, but there are also communities in Grawpolis and the Toran Savannah.

    The Followers of the Divine Owl believe that Avestra is the supreme deity and ultimate creator of the universe. The existence of other gods is acknowledged, though, for example Graw as the god of knowledge, or Chern as the guardian of the dead.

    Followers of the Owl believe that all mortals used to live in harmony with nature, until the fox trickster Alatadriel stole fire from the Sun god Yir and gave it to humanity. This caused a great separation between man and nature. Only by adhering to the teachings of Avestra can mortals free themselves from the cycle of rebirth and rejoin the eternal flock.

    Particularly devout followers will abstain from all relations that can result in pregnancy, even between husband and wife, in order to avoid adding to the world population. These followers will instead adopt unwanted or orphaned children to raise in the faith.

    Last edited by The JoJo; 2020-03-12 at 03:09 AM.

  25. - Top - End - #175
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Chimera

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    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Su'ule 20/50 AP

    Seeing that the Mutants, her Neanderthal tribes were invading giant lands, not as much as before, but still enough to be concerning to her, she wanted to both preserver her own created race and also make life more peaceful for them. In that vein, she decided it would be a good idea to . . . alter her favorite tribes a little, well, a lot. Each Mutant would be able to shape shift at will. They wouldn't be as powerful individually as the dragon man, but as a race they would all possess an ability to change form. Su'ule muttered incomprehensible words over her tribes in a magical spell. . .

    Spoiler
    Show

    -20 AP to transform the Neanderthals into a new race, the Changelings. Changelings all not only posses the innate capability to change form at will, but also enjoy a vastly enhanced life span.
    +2 Sorcery, shape shifting is a form of sorcery all changelings do
    +2 Monsters, yes, even shape shifting into monsters is possible
    +1 Birth , changelings can give birth to other changelings without pain, and those who couple with changelings will always have changeling children.
    Last edited by DarthArminius; 2020-03-04 at 09:25 AM.
    I am ArlEammon. I've been here since 2004, but I've lost access to my other account.

  26. - Top - End - #176
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Petr, somewhere in Tria

    It was shortly after the birth of their son Nerassus, just as Petr was beginning her search for divine essence, when they encountered something unusual but perhaps not unexpected. The water deity was on the continent of Tria when a shape approached her from a distance, soaring through the sky like a plummeting falcon.

    But it was no bird. A raptor maybe, but not a bird. Looking up, Petr tilts their head curiously at the sight. Whatever it is, saying that it is flying seems a pretty clear overstatement. Conjuring up a pool of water above them, Petr prepares themselves to catch their flying visitor.

    The being gracefully skimmed the water above Petr with a sweep of its scaly tail, coming to a halt just above the summoned pool at a steady hover. It was indeed a raptor, head crested with saffron yellow feathers, saurian eyes piercing Petr with their intent glare. The beast wore nothing but a leather loincloth and a scarf, though by far the most distinguishing feature of the raptor was that it was missing both legs below the knee. The stumps hanging down with a loose, vestigial ease as it held its elevation above Petr.

    "Sir or ma'am," said the raptor in a crisp, respectful rasp, "I mean you no harm. I am here on behalf of the Wiltwatcher, Chern, god of decay."

    Petr frowns at the sight. A malformed mortal. And yet still it seems... not exactly healthy, but at least not dying. The water falls back to the ground and they tilt their head slightly to the side.

    "Chern? I haven't seen him since he blessed my son." They stand up, snapping their fingers to coalesce into a female humanoid form. Old and wise, with hair the grey of seafoam cresting against stone. "What need does he have?"

    "He seeks to harness the power of water to aid my people," the flying raptor explained, hands clasped behind his back, tail flicking beneath him with a languor that contradicted his formality. "He believes that you, being the patron of water and a fellow ally to the downtrodden, would aid him in this. I volunteered to locate you and pass on this request, for the glory and betterment of Choblin-kind."

    "Choblin... kind?" Petra frowns, inclining her head slightly. "You unfortunately have me at a disadvantage. I do not know of the tribe of Choblins. Though with that being said. A friend of a friend should at the very least have their words heard. What is the task he needs my assistance with?" She rubs her chin thoughtfully. "Or perhaps I should seek him out. Do you know where he is? If he's by his oasis then this should be quick."

    "Chern is not at the No Name Oasis. He told us before he left that he knew of a place with great power, where he could better fuel his miracle-working. However..."

    The raptor glided down next to Petra, looking her in the eye.

    "I, Xcha of the Choblins' 1st Squalor Squad, would personally appreciate it if you accompany me to our Oasis before joining Chern in his place of power. I believe that you, of all the rest of the gods, would be sympathetic to the plight of our people. It is... Important, that you bear witness."

    Petra nods slowly. "Very well. Then lead the way and I shall follow."

    ---

    Petr, No Name Oasis

    Xcha led Petra back to the oasis, rocketing through the air with his arms tucks away, face pointed straight ahead along the axis of his rigid tail. They flew until they saw nothing but sand across all degrees of the horizon, and then, in the solitary distance, a patch of greenery resolved itself.

    The No Name Oasis had changed since its creation many months ago. It still stood out as a bastion of life amid the dunes, fed by a generous freshwater spring from a glowloam hollow beneath the sand. However, the influx of thousands of worn out terrors had clearly taken its toll. Small shelters were scattered throughout the trees and surrounding sand, the ground churned up around them from the relentless traffic of raptors. Branches and stalks hung limp, long ago stripped of their bounty. The once crystal clear spring water lake was teeming with raptors, drinking and bathing and eating and squabbling almost shoulder to shoulder.

    "Chern saved us from living short, violent lives, consumed by bloodlust" Xcha called back to Petra ruefully, "but Choblin life remains difficult in other ways. We have resorted to rationing our food, lest we starve. The water grows unclean, and disease has already begun to take hold. With the Indriel Empire all around us, we have no where else to go, and we do not wish to have to raid and conquer to sustain ourselves."

    "I see." Petra says quietly. She floats over the Oasis, looking over the peculiar raptors. She extends her essence into the water. The flow is stagnant. The springs feeding it wouldn't last for half such a congregation, and with how sloppy Grawissen has been with the "terrors" there is not much hope for peaceful interaction elsewhere.

    She digs her presence deeper, following the flows of water to their source. Distant aquifiers fed by the sparse rain of the desert. But perhaps. She returns her attention to Xcha, nodding.

    "I might have a solution. Water is all over the world, and it should constantly move. I will create a cycle, turn it into one of my healing springs. Fresh water will flow. But what I construct is fragile. Some of your kind should study aquamancy to help the flow remain. Beware those who would claim the wealth of the earth, for they may claim the aquifiers too. Furthermore." Petr opens their hand, revealing a handful of seeds. She shows them to Xcha before she spreads her arms, letting them scatter across the sandy dunes. "With my blessings, these seeds will bear quick fruit. A moment of relief. Future bounties will depend on your agricultural skill."

    Xcha bowed low, a strange but no less genuine manoeuvre to perform in the sky.

    "Ma'am is most gracious, most wise," he said, his manner faltering as he seemed taken aback by Petra's generosity. Below them, many of the gloomy Choblins had noticed the goddess by now. They crept forward, peering up at her and muttering amongst themselves as they congregated in the sand beneath her and Xcha. Some limped on damaged legs or held their arms crooked, others shuffled under the absent weight of a maimed tail, many bore scars and disfigurements. One human joined the throng, a young woman with a bandaged foot, her suntanned face turned up towards Petra with wonder.

    The aerial raptor's fierce eyes darted over his assembled kin, then he swept low, calling out to them.

    "CHOBLINS!" he roared, teeth flashing. "Once again, the pantheon that wronged us manages to surprise. Behold Petr," his taloned finger jutted in her direction, "bearer of fresh water, planter of seeds! FRIEND TO THE CHOBLINS!"

    "FRIEND TO THE CHOBLINS! FRIEND TO THE CHOBLINS! FRIEND TO THE CHOBLINS!"

    The raptors' united shout resounded through the desert. While the Choblins hissed their praise and applauded, Xcha turned back to Petra.

    "You can find Chern in the Starry Crypt, deep within the Boa Jungle. Go now. And thank you."

    Petra waves a hand gently to the mortals. She permits her cheeks to redden slightly. A sign that, if she understood mortal physiology well enough, indicated gratitude and humility in the face of praise.

    "Please. All I did was give you a chance to seize your future with your own hands. What makes my gift valuable will be how you use it. Farewell Xcha. May you and your tribe enjoy long life and good health." Petra bows lightly, their body fading away into a cloud of cool mist that drifts down to the ground. One last, momentary blessing as she leaves.

    At least for the time being. Perhaps... yes. She should definitely send Nerassus here in the future.

    ---

    Chern, 22/50 AP, the Starry Crypt

    Once again, Chern had found himself in a secluded shaft of the cavernous Starry Crypt. Yellow lights twinkled above him, yellow eyes watched him through ancient masks. The god stood in the middle of the room, ankle deep in a pool of still cave water. A single stalk of glowloam grew in the middle of the pool, illuminating its surface like a moon low on the ocean horizon.

    Then the stillness was broken, as Chern slammed the butt of a staff down into water with a taut ripple. Two amberis prongs at the head of the staff twanged and twitched with a symmetrical rythmicness, their vibration contributing to the minute surface ripples at a frequency almost below what a mortal could perceive. The glowloam stalk shuddered, and began to swell, twisting upwards with supernatural vigour... Until with a puff of spore, it caved in on itself, empty and depleted.

    "Hmmmm..." Chern inspected the mask, tapping his wooden face curiously. "Growth without decay. Does that even make sense? Futile, futile... But I must do it!"

    The pool of water suddenly twists to life. A small tendril floats up from the surface, twisting before expanding into a vaguely humanoid shape. Petra inclines her head lightly to Chern as her body works to coalesce into a proper pygmy-like shape. Still with the grey hair. She is holding a gnarled coral branch like a staff, tapping the end gently against the surface of the water. "Trying to grow plants are we dear? One of yours. Xcha of the 1st Squalor Squad. He told me you need my help?"

    Chern stood straighter, leaning on the amberis staff. "Yes, I do. Growth is in some ways indistinguishable from decay, as that which grows only do so using that which has decayed before it. However, in practice, it is difficult for me to reconcile the two. Did Xcha show you the oasis?"

    "He did. It has a lot of untapped fertility, but poor cycles. I've directed about some nearby aquifiers to permit water to flow in and out of the place. It should help the biodiversity. I also provided some seeds that should tide them over until the first proper harvest."

    "Cycles are indeed the engine of the universe," Chern agreed solemnly, "but I've dwelt on this matter for some time, Petr. Even if the Choblins manage to eke out a life with what little the oasis can provide, they will have no room to grow themselves. Alatadriel's people surround them on all sides. I cannot bear to see these mortals destroyed, not after all that they've suffered already. And yet, as you say, the cycle of life must be respect. So I made this."

    Chern held up the staff - more a giant amber tuning fork - out to Petr.

    "It imbues water with the energy to accelerate the growth of plants and fungi. With your improvements to the spring, and the power of this staff, the Choblins will never be wanting for food or water. And, beneath the ground, rivers will form through glowloam hollows that carry the staff's power to my glowloam. Faster glowloam, means faster tunnelling. The caves will grow all throughout the desert and beyond, right beneath the Indriel. The Choblin's will have their niche in this world, and they'll be safe."

    Petra can't help but let out an appreciative whistle as she looks over the staff.

    "You are quite the tinkerer Chern. That is some very interesting designs you've brought forth. Let me see... yeah, I think I'm understanding how it works." She licks her lips thoughtfully, before she picks up a small rock, showing it to Chern. "What many fail to understand is that water isn't just water. Water contains minerals and nutrients. All things that life use to build itself up. Hrm... the Choblins will need some aquamancers to make the best use of this without drowning... my boy can fix that though. For now, if I may." She rolls the rock between her hands, shaping it into a very thin needle of stone. "Attach this to your design. I've infused it with my essence."

    Chern took the stone, holding it close to his masked face. He then lodged the needle in between the amberis prongs, forming a trident. Then, he lifted the staff once more, and slammed it into the shallow pond.

    The outer two prongs immediately began to resonate, so rapidly, and so evenly that it filled the air with a strobing whine. The central stone needle remained firm, flexing in height and width ever so slightly, a millisecond or so out of phase with the amberis resonators. The vibrations rippled down the staff, making the water almost seem flatter with the sheer tightness of its waves. In a second, the vibrations had reached the glowloam in the centre of the pool.

    It grew so explosively that Chern was knocked off his feet and sent sprawling in the mucky cave water. He adjusted his mask, which has been knocked a quarter turn out of line with his face.

    "A sound modification," he announced, fishing the trident out of the water next to him.

    "They don't call me the flowermaker for nothing." Petra hides a grin behind her face.

    Spoiler: Action!
    Show
    Create a greater magical item (14 AP/10 DC)

    +2 Starry Crypt

    Forge the Tuning Trident, a staff designed to accelerate the growth of any plant or fungi on contact with a specific body of water to unnatural levels. Either a mastery of aquamancy or a third threshold in the Path of Squalor is required to use the trident to its fullest potential, though it may be left resonating in the same spot indefinitely. A key limitation to the trident is that its effects diminish in potency with distance from the point of contact - placing it in the ocean for instance will not result in all the world's seaweed suddenly shooting up out of the ocean like pine trees. The trident may be destroyed by attempting to use it in the Tabula Rasa (the river running through the Passing), as the sheer purity of its water is enough to overload the Tuning Trident's resonator.

    Help from Petr

    +2 Water, because the trident uses water to operate

    +2 Healing, because it causes growth

    On top of their help with the trident's construction, Petr will fortify the No Name Oasis (where the trident is intended for use) with their own special touch.
    Last edited by Garjel_blah; 2020-03-16 at 08:25 PM.

  27. - Top - End - #177
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Ymon-Thal, 14/50 AP, Yith, Boa Jungle

    There were people all around the Landing, some hiding behind walls or each other, some in the open, all of them staring up at their descending god. The open area between the houses that composed the Landing itself was almost empty, except for the four standing in the middle of it.

    Even though their clothes and hair differed from each other, the two middle-aged women in the center of the small group were clearly twins, sharing the same angular features, gray hair and dark eyes. The other two members of the group didn't look much like the twins and even less like each other. One of them was an old woman, almost as wide as she was tall and oozing of confidence, the other a young and rather thin man, clearly nervous and uneasy with the situation.

    "Who are they?" Thal-Verys asked as she and Ymon-Thal lowered themselves towards the ground.

    "Who? No idea."

    "What they are is the ruling council of the Yith. The two in the middle are two of the Twin God's Own, the others are a Disciple of Thal and a Disciple of Ymon."

    As Ymon-Thal and Thal-Verys landed in front of the group, the four of them fell to their knees.

    "Hellooooo, people of Yith!" Ymon shouted, twirling around with his arms spread out. "Give a big welcome to Thal-Veeeeeeeeeeeerys!"

    Thal-Verys suddenly felt very aware of the hundreds, maybe even thousands, of eyes looking in her direction. She considered trying to hide behind Thal but his current form was about her own size and in any case, hiding was rarely an option when wearing a rainbow crown and lugging a small sun around. Instead, she held her head high and waved at the crowd.

    "Thal-Verys has been appointed guardian of the Passing", Thal said, seemingly not raising his voice but still being heard by all. "She speaks for us and you should honor her as you would us."

    The people applauded and with growing confidence Thal-Verys flew closer to them, landing in the middle of the crowd. She felt a stab of panic, so many people looking at her, expecting things of her. With a deep breath she collected her thoughts and sensed the souls of those around her.

    "Rasal, son of Tara and Selion", she said, looking right at one of the mortals around her. His name was in her book, as was all the others. "Isil, daughter of Sinar and Valas. Teonara, daughter of..." She continued naming everyone she saw and within minutes the area was an anthill of activity and movement, everyone wanting to hear the demigoddess say their name.

    "Aww, they like her!" Ymon said, observing with his other self from the middle of the Landing's open field.

    "Not bad", Thal acknowledged before turning towards the Council of Yith. "Now, we have other things to discuss."

    Spoiler: OOC
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    If you haven't already, check out my post in the OOC-thread for more information about the Landing, where this post takes place.
    Last edited by Batcathat; 2020-03-04 at 01:14 PM.

  28. - Top - End - #178
    Ogre in the Playground
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    Dec 2013

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Sanctuary

    It's late evening. The adults are all busy with... something. Adult stuff. Boring stuff. Thankfully not something he has to care for. So the cute giant monster demigod has snuck out of the castle and is now playing near the MoonPool. There, where the trees are thickest, he practices one of the most important tasks a young demigod can learn. Namely the art of posing.

    "Halt uglyface! For you now face Nerassus! Hero of Sanctuary! ... no. Uglyface isn't... it needs to be better." He grumbles thoughtfully, before standing wide, planting his hands on his hips and bellows out. "Halt badstuffdoer!"

    Timorin, having been approaching from afar, haulted in place. What have they been telling the child about me? Then realizing that the boy had not yet noticed him called out, "Two recommendations. First keep it short. Much like a sword stroke, the longer your words take, the more time they have to ignore them and plant a knife in your belly. Second, try an illustration. Surrender vile villian or be vanquished. See how that flows a little better?"

    Nerassus blinks and turns around. His face breaks into a smile as he rushes forward, practically jumping onto Timorin. "Unca Timorin! You came to visit?!" His eyes gleam in delight as he hoists Timorin up and gives him the strong hug of someone who's had to really hold back his strength lately. "You got good advice. Hrm. What if I try... like... hrm. Short. Surrender or be stomped?!"

    Timorin laughs and hugs the child back. "That sounds wonderful. Just make sure you hold up your end and stomp them if needed. But yes. I thought it would be fun to come and play if you would like. We can call it training."

    Nerassus nods his head eagerly. "I got the idea from Nani. She was tryna teach me to dance. Afterwards she said that, if nothing else, my dancing can flatten all our enemies." He rubs his neck with a shy smile. "I think I need more practice. So whatcha wanna play? Tag? Hide and seek? Wargames? I'm not so good, but P'ua's been teaching me the rules."

    Timorin sets the child down and rubs his chin. "Interesting. Dancing? I could probably help with that. We shall do whatever you want but first let's see what I can do for this dancing. Dancing is a good form but best executed against someone too big to counter your quick and fluid movements. How about we combine this game with some of the others. I will turn into a bear and hide in the woods. You shall stalk me and then try to subdue me without harm as you might take in a villian whom you do not seek to kill. Does this sound like fun?"

    "Yes!" Nera jumps up with a grin, cheering and whooping loudly as he laughs heartily. "Should I turn around and count to ten and give you time to hide as well maybe?" He lifts his hands to his eyes. "I won't look, so hurry up and hide so we can begin!"

    "Okay then child, begin counting." Timorin shifts into a bear and moves out of sight but not too far from where the child is. He shall try to stay hidden until the child passes and then stalk him.

    "Eight. Nine. Ten! Ready or not, here I come!" Nerassus spins on his heel and looks about. He frowns thoughtfully, but finding no trace of Timorin he picks a random direction and starts to wander off.

    Peaking around from his hiding spot Timorin begins creeping in the direction the child went. Though Timorin is not as familiar with this island or with this rather bulky form. He occasionally finds himself startling a small animal or rustling leaves with his overlarge bulk. Each time he does, he tries to conceal himself but the island is not infinitely filled with things big enough to hide a bear.

    As he wanders, Nerassus suddenly kneels down, appearing to talk to something on the ground. It seems to be a short, but spirited conversation. And afterwards Nerassus stands up, giggles softly to himself, and then spins around, rushing towards a bush where he spots a large brown tuft of fur. "Found you villain! Surrender or be stomped!"

    Timorin peaks out from behind the bush that he was failing to hide himself behind and points a paw at himself with a small groan and a tile of the head. Then he slowly walks out from behind the tree with his front two paws raised up.

    Nerassus struts his chest out proudly, grinning. "Wise choice... uhm." He rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Uh... hrm. Ah... although." He frowns. "I don't... I didn't actually think of what I'd do after I caught the bad guy. The adults say something about "judgement"? So. Uh. I judge you to... something."

    With a wicked bear smile, Timorin takes advantage of the child's distraction to lunge at him and try to tackle him to the ground.

    Nerassus yelps as he goes down like a tree, making as loud of a crack as one as he falls to the ground. "Oh! Bad villain! No takebacks on surrendering!" He cries out, bringing his arms up to press against Timorin's chest in order to wrest him off his body.

    Timorin puts up a valiant fight but eagerly let's the child win... Whether or not the child would have won on his own, Timorin would never say but he does his best to make a convincing play with him before allowing himself to be properly subdued and turning back into a human shape. "Good. Despite my trickery you overcame the vile bear villian."

    Nerassus nods as he takes a seat on top of Timorin's chest, pinning the bear with his weight. "Victory is mine! Now I must imprison you. Or something. But I can't sit on you forever too..." He frowns. "Man, capturing villains is a lot harder than I thought it'd be."

    Timorin give a thoughtful hum. "Do you have anything to tie me up with? Perhaps you can tap me on the head once and we can pretend I am unconscious until you find a way to bind me and put me in prison."

    Nerassus looks about himself. He looks at the trees, grass, and finally he looks back at his own cape. "Oh yeah!" He grins and playfully baps Timorin on the head. "I can tie you up with my cloak!" He rolls off Timorin and grabs the cape, twisting it between his arms into a long scarf, with which he begins to wrap up all of Timorin.

    Timorin let's out a bright laugh. "Ah my folly. Not only did I tell you how to capture me, but you used the gift I gave you."

    Nerassus grins in pride at his own deviousness. He grabs both ends of the scarf and ties them together, tightening the makeshift "rope" a little. "Yeah. It's a lot of fun. P'ua says I shouldn't use it so much though. Apparently it's super-distracting."

    Timorin nodds. "Distraction is useful but only sometimes. Distracting an enemy is good. Distracting Allie's or the people you need to protect is bad."

    "Yeah. And I guess they don't need me distracting them from their jobs." Nerassus pouts softly, crossing his arms as he grabs Timorin and throws him over his shoulder. "So. Now that I caught you... what do I do?"

    Timorin shrugs as best he can. "Sanctuary doesn't have a prison probably. For now we will say you properly secure me. Perhaps ask Petr or one of the masters what you would do with a villian like me." With a wink he adds "But for now you may put me down."

    Nerassus nods and hoists Timorin off his shoulders. He's not gentle, so the big bear lands on the ground with a resounding crash. "Thanks for playing with me. This was fun. I hope you'll come visit some other time so we can play more."

    "I am happy to come play with you any time child. I know Petr does nto always approve of me or my actions but I still want what is best for you." Timorin gives the child one more hug before adding. "You have given me much to think about."

    "Glad I could help you... even though I don't exactly know how." He smiles brightly, hugging back on Timorin before he slips the cloak onto his back. "I should probably head home to bed. If I stay out too long after sundown, P'ua gets terribly mad at me."

    "We wouldn't want that. Hurry along." And with a wave and a wink, Timorin is gone.

  29. - Top - End - #179
    Dwarf in the Playground
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Alatadriel sat rocking her child in their cradle a couple of nights after the party. She let out a loud yawn. She could tell that she was stretching herself out longer than she had before. It was barely months last time she had come to Earth, but now it had been years. She started to feel some of the aches and pains of a mortal, but she could make it through this as long as she conserved her power. Divine sparks fluttered across her eyes as she heard the cries of someone inventing a new shapeshifting race. She looked to her child as she remembered the gifts given to the child.
    She could spare some power to reward a favor like this.
    Spoiler: Help
    Show

    +2 Foxes. These Changelings would find it incredibly easy to change into a fox or have fox-like features in their various forms.
    +2 Fire The Changelings have a special connection to fire. They can easily tell the different intensities and temperatures of fire that one would need to melt various objects.
    I prefer a keg of beer!

  30. - Top - End - #180
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2013

    Default Re: Pan-aeons: a God Game

    Timorin had finished playing with Nera and then felt strange. There was something about helping the child learn and grow that satisfied him in a way that nothing else he had done had satisfied him. Those things were fleeting amusement but this was different. This he felt every time he thought of the child. What was this? It was hard to place. Perhaps helping people learn and grow and be better can have a more lasting effect than pitting them against one another. This did not seem likely.

    Perhaps it was time for a test. So Timorin sat down to meditate on the issue. He thought back to the people he had helped. There were the Marshians whom he gave a miracle drug. There were his cultists who had all of the knowledge he could offer when it comes to amberis, the path of emotion, etc. Then there were the villagers he liberated from their oppressive morals that held back their true selves. There was the town he had saved from the Empire's attack and allowed to become a productive member of the Empire. Each of those felt good in their own way but something was missing. Maybe it was the fact that they were each so isolated. He hadn't helped all of them the same. They wouldn't even know how to find eachother.

    On top of that, Timorin could feel his power diminishing again. He feared he would soon fall back into the slumber. Then his mortals would be alone and isolated again, potential victims. This must be what had been bothering him.

    Quickly he went to Grawopolis and went to the most deep and secluded supply rooms. Ah, just what he needed. Then from amberis he extracted from various trees, he forged masks with magicite eyes. Each one different yet the same.

    The masks he linked to the blank parchment. All would be connected. And linked and all would be able to communicate.

    Spoiler: Action
    Show
    19 AP 3 BP
    Create Minor Magic Items 10AP/DC 6: Mad God's Masquerade x 96 +1 Mad God's Map
    Use: The masks have two main purposes. First they can be set to a mode to allow communication by forming astral images of the wearer to appear within 15 meters of the map. Secondly they feed information to the map.
    The map takes information seen by the masks and uses it to fill itself out. The details on the map are incredibly detailed and can zoom in and out but the accuracy is limited to the last a mask has viewed an area. It will not self update. The masks must be viewing an area to update it. The older the information, the less color is shown on the map.

    Domains:
    +2 Drama The masks form perfectly to the face of a wearer, making determining who the wearer is impossible through their face (other clues like their body and voice can work). There is also six per god, one per emotion of the shadows. These traits are just thematic and cultural, not magical.
    +1 Games the games done to hand out a portion of the masks
    Last edited by gac3; 2020-03-08 at 12:39 AM.

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